Could the Meridian Mall benefit from proposed community center?

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Public recommendations for what could potentially be Meridian Township’s first community center are now being reviewed by administrators and consultants.

Since 2018, the doors of the Yonkers location at the Meridian Mall have been closed, leaving more than 39,000 square feet vacant—but the township has proposed to convert the shuttered storefront into a community center.

Wednesday night, more than a dozen people gave their input on the proposed plan for the new facility that officials say will help cater to both the young and the old—with a dedicated senior center.

Citizens discussed what they want the final design to look like, which Marna Wilson, a Meridian Township trustee, says will determine the overall cost of the project.

While some voices are pushing back on the idea, the township trustee told 6 News that it could bring some much-needed traffic back to the Meridian Mall.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship,” says Wilson.

Wilson says that the proposed facility, with its dedicated senior center, will not only create a space for the township’s wide age demographic but also bring more customers to the mall’s front door.

“We have an option to purchase the property, and we really believe that it will revitalize the mall by offering walking trails, a food court, and shopping to people utilizing the community center,” says Wilson.

However, some remain skeptical of the concept altogether. Peggy Frisch, president of the Meridian Senior Center Advisory Board, says seniors felt they were left in the dark for most of the decision-making process.

She says that the business bost Wilson touts might be a bust.

“People don’t shop in malls like they used to, and I think the mall will die a slow death—but it will die. I mean, they can’t stay open. We are lucky to have Macy’s and Penny’s.”

Other people shopping at the farmer’s market just feet from the mall anticipate a different future.

“It would be a nice location, especially for people to come and visit an area like this,” said one shopper.

6 News reached out to CBL Properties, the company that owns the Meridian Mall, for comment on the development and information about how the mall is currently performing.

A communications official responded via email, saying it’s too early to comment on the community center project.

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