Two projects that could help continue revitalizing the region’s two malls will head to Garfield Township planning commissioners next week. An Altitude Trampoline Park is planned for the former Big Lots space at the Cherryland Center, while development firm Lormax Stern is planning to split the former Macy’s space at the Grand Traverse Mall into four to five new tenants that could include a national bookstore chain, gourmet food store, and popular apparel brands.

Both projects will appear on the township’s planning commission agenda June 11. The first is a site plan review from Catherine Maxson of AirOPark LLC, who is planning to open an Altitude Trampoline Park location in approximately 23,000 square feet of the Big Lots space. The national franchise, which describes itself as a “high-energy entertainment experience,” offers a variety of indoor trampoline park amenities. Offerings vary by park but can include features like a kid’s court, performance trampoline, basketball trampoline dunk, extreme dodgeball, battle beam, trapeze, tumble track, and augmented reality games.

Memberships and day passes, birthday parties, corporate teambuilding outings, and special events like theme nights, Glo parties, and sensory play days are all part of the franchise model. Altitude Trampoline Park has one other location in Michigan – in the Grand Rapids area – but has been aggressively expanding across both the U.S. and internationally. Maxson declined to comment, but Altitude recently described its model as follows:

“The brand's focus is on child-driven entertainment, with strategically selected locations in suburban areas that cater to families. To stay competitive in the rapidly evolving family entertainment sector, Altitude is constantly innovating. The company is actively exploring new food and beverage offerings, enhancing customer service, and investing in cutting-edge attractions that elevate the guest experience. Additionally, Altitude is integrating emerging technologies like XR and AR to create unique and immersive play experiences.”

The project application states redevelopment work will start this summer, with a targeted year-end completion date. Real estate agent Kevin Query says the trampoline park fits in well with the “synergy” of entertainment and family-focused options opening at the Cherryland Center, such as K1 Speed, Traverse City Curling Club, Traverse City Philharmonic, and Two Brothers Dog Park Café & Taproom. The availability of the Big Lots space was particularly fortuitous as the “biggest driving factor” for Altitude Trampoline Park locations is ceiling heights, Query says, with Big Lots meeting the minimum standards for the franchise agreement. Another 7,479 square feet of space remains available on the building’s south side as a separate unit, with Query looking now for another retail or service tenant to occupy that space.

A significant redevelopment project is also on deck for the Grand Traverse Mall after downstate real estate firm Lormax Stern purchased the former Macy’s space last year. While the majority of the Grand Traverse Mall is owned by Brookfield Properties, three parcels (including their parking lots) are separately owned: Target, JCPenney, and Macy’s. Lormax Stern has submitted a site plan review application to Garfield Township to divide the 102,000-square-foot Macy’s space into four or five separate tenants “that are now commonly found in the shopping centers developed over the last 10 years,” Lormax Stern wrote in its application.

“Plans are for a gourmet food store, a national bookstore, and national popular apparel brands,” the firm wrote. “These will give vibrancy to the area, as well as anticipated sales for the area over five times the former Macy’s sales.” Renovation work is planned for the mall site, according to Lormax Stern. “New elevations will be provided to get a more updated and natural look to the building to better integrate into the surrounding area,” the application states. “Storefront features will be added to the south-west and south-east facades, which will improve parking utilization, encourage outdoor pedestrian activity, and improve the general image of the shopping center.”

The company also plans to build a small outlot building “to house a national popular fast casual restaurant to provide the area with a new trendy healthy food offering without impacting the parking surrounding the site, which was a previously excessive outlot in today’s market,” Lormax Stern wrote.

Principal Daniel Stern tells The Ticker he can’t yet name the specific retailers who will occupy the space. “We are under negotiation on 100 percent of the space right now, but no leases are executed,” he explains. Lormax Stern notably has a relationship with Barnes & Noble – the bookstore is located in at least five of its mall properties, according to the firm’s website – and has worked with food retailers including Kroger, D&W Fresh Market, and Whole Foods. The application indicates project work will start in 2025 and continue through early 2027. “We are hoping to start construction later this year, as the building is vacant now and we do not let things sit,” Stern says.

Drew Ford, leasing and marketing coordinator for Lormax Stern, told The Ticker in December that interest from prospective tenants for the Macy’s space has been high. “We have more users than we have space, and we’re excited about the positive impact this will have on the building and the surrounding area, including the balance of the mall,” he said.