Discuss Detroit » Archives - January 2008 » Hudson's exterior/interior designs « Previous Next »
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 30
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 6:22 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I liked the way Northland, Eastland, Oakland and Fairlane Hudson's looked on the outside. I think that Eastland looks taller then Northland. And I'm going to say this now. Northland has four floors. Eastland has 4 floors with a concourse. I think Somerset has the best interior decor. When that store opened in 1996 it replaced Northland as the flagship. I liked how Fairlane has that open ceiling. Does anyone know when Fairlane got that? I liked how Twelve Oaks looked but now with the renovations it looks bland.
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Fastcarsfreedom
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Username: Fastcarsfreedom

Post Number: 220
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 12:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

We had been discussing a few weeks ago W_6_mile that the "non ceiling" as it was called existed in a number of Hudson's stores of a similar vintage--12 Oaks, Fairlane and Lakeside all had it. Lakeside lost it in a reno some years ago, and 12 Oaks has now gotten the same treatment. Fairlane continues for now with the open ceiling and the acoustic "slats" which definitely give the store a unique (if dark) appearance among it's department store bretheren. I remember the decision to put "ceilings" in the stores over time being announced sometime around the Hudsons/Fields changeover.

BTW, if my memory doesn't fail me, many of the older stores look similar on the outside--Southland and Summit Place I seem to remember having a similar look to the others you mentioned. Somerset was pretty exciting when it opened.
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Elevator_fan
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Username: Elevator_fan

Post Number: 33
Registered: 04-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 2:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I recall seeing a Mezzanine level at Northland in the elevators, but I never recall stopping there. The escalators bypassed it. Does anyone know what was on that floor? Offices?

I think when they modernized the elevator controls a few years ago, they removed the ability to stop on the mezzanine.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 6062
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 3:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

OK, now I'm a bit confused... I've visited Eastland Hudson's many times. It had a basement and 4 floors above that.

But whenever I visited the Northland Hudson's, I can only remember a basement and 3 floors above that. I cannot recall being able to get to a 4th floor at the Northland store... and I was purposefully looking for the 4th floor back around 1980, since I knew that the 4th floor of the Eastland Hudson's was a very interesting space.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 6063
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 3:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember the main floor of the Eastland store (like many of the Hudson's) was a very tall space on the perimeter of the building. But in the building core (between the 2 escalators on the far ends of the building) the ceiling was much lower. This would account for a mezzanine level above the main floor level. No clue what this area was used for though...
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 32
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 5:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gistok...Northland Hudson's may have a basement...but that 1st floor is not a basement only because there is a an entrance at Northwestern Hwy. So that makes it the 1st floor. Were Eastland Hudson's "1st" floor doesnt have a entrance from the street level. Understand how it makes a difference? Also Gistok I had a friend who was employed at Hudson's Eastland and he told me the mezz. is basically used for cosmetic storage now.
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 36
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Sunday, January 06, 2008 - 10:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I like how grand Oakland Macy's looks. Esp. the men's store with the green marble floors.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 6077
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Sunday, January 06, 2008 - 11:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for clearing up the confusion W_6_mile... so Hudson's Northland had 4 levels of sales floor, while Hudson's Eastland had 5 levels.

The 1st floor at Eastland is the main mall level (with a basement sales level beneath it), while the 2nd floor at Northland is the main mall level.
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 38
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Monday, January 07, 2008 - 7:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes Gistok. So Macy*s Eastland is the tallest in Michigan. However Macy*s Northland is the largest.
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 39
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Monday, January 07, 2008 - 7:35 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One day called Minneapolis and got this information about Hudson's:

Size in square feet

Eastland 503,350
Oakland 378,512
Northland 550,145
Westland 354,568
Somerset 300,000
Twelve Oaks 249,600 (currently 300,000)
Lakeside 206,095
Lakeside Mens & Home 115,000
Summit Place 289,490
Southland 292,000
Briarwood 187,467
Fairlane 249,814
Saginaw 310,000 (not sure about that)
Port Huron 103,000
Woodland 158,860
Rivertown 165,000
Lansing 103,307
Meridan 103,209
Battle Creek 103,209
Crossroads 123,513
Traverse City 103,000
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 42
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Monday, January 07, 2008 - 8:59 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Did Hudson's Fairlane/Twelve Oaks/Lakeside/Briarwood always have that open ceiling upon its opening? I thought they got it in the late 80s
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Cmubryan
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Username: Cmubryan

Post Number: 507
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 9:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I believe they were built with the open ceiling but I am just going on memory and wasn't born until the early 80s and my first memories from the Twelve Oaks store are probably from the mid 80s.

However I can't believe they would re-do the ceiling just after 10 years of the stores being open. (They were all built in the neighborhood of the late 70s).
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Fastcarsfreedom
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Username: Fastcarsfreedom

Post Number: 224
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 10:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

W6_mile--it would surprise me if the Saginaw store at Fashion Square Mall was that big--but you never know. How old was that info?--prior to the late 70s Hudson's operated free-standing in downtown Saginaw.

I second Cmubryan--the non-ceiling was, I believe, orignal to the those 70s malls--and made the stores feel a little more like a big, old, downtown flagship. I had forgotten that Briarwood also had the slats--does it still?
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Focusonthed
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Username: Focusonthed

Post Number: 1583
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 10:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Crossroads store in Portage/Kalamazoo had the open ceiling back in the 80s.
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 52
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 6:26 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

fastcar...Briarwood no longer that ceiling design as it was remodeled a few years ago.
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W_6_mile
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Username: W_6_mile

Post Number: 53
Registered: 01-2008
Posted on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 - 6:27 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I called and got the information during the summer of 2006 right before it became Macy*s.

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