Macy’s Rivertown Crossings Closure Leaves Mall In Revitalization Limbo

To say the Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville is in a precarious state would be an understatement. When the mall opened in 1999, it was buoyed by major stores like Sears, Kohl's, Younkers, JCPenney, and Hudson's (which later rebranded as Macy's), as well as a 20-screen movie theater. The mall was the place to be for many years.

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However, 27 years later, the mall is a shell of its former self. Sears and Younkers have been closed for well over a decade (but only recently had their signage taken down), TGI Fridays shut down in 2024, and JCPenney was sold to a new owner last year, shrouding its future in mystery. phew

Now, another mall staple will be closing its doors: Macy's has announced it will shut down its Rivertown location. With the mall in a state of "revitalization," the closure of one of its biggest stores raises alarms for the Grandville icon. Is it a sign of more to come, or an opportunity for the mall to grow further?

Macy's Announces Rivertown Closure

Our friend Wendy Reed wrote a full breakdown of the Macy's closure, but we'll touch on it quickly. Macy's website was recently updated to announce that the Grandville location would be closing in the future, with WZZM 13 reporting that Rivertown's location closure is part of a larger company strategy called the "Bold New Chapter, with 150 other stores closing around the country.

No date has been given for the store's final day of operation.

Rivertown Crossing's Next Chapter?

It's not all doom and gloom, however. This news comes as an investment group that bought Rivertown Crossings in 2024 has been looking to revitalize the mall, adding a trampoline park where Younkers once was, agreeing to a massive facelift to the Celebration! Cinema location, demolishing its infamous parking ramp, and possibly adding residential space to the mall.

Most of the big additions and changes have been well received, and as someone who worked at this mall for many years, I still believe it has potential for a rebirth similar to Woodland and Centerpointe. But having a staple store close in the midst of a new chapter is a tough pill to swallow.

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For now, I will continue visiting FYE and Celebration! Cinema with a slight droop to my shoulders.