The Mammoth Shopping Center was built in 1949 and was originally a Federal’s Department Store. Federal’s Department Store was started in Detroit, Michigan in 1929 and had several chains around Detroit. This Federal’s Department Store was located at 15401 Grand River Ave, at the corner of Greenfield Road, in northwest Detroit. ...
Federal’s Department Store quickly became a popular location for Detroiters to go shopping for new outfits and wardrobes. It was located far enough from downtown and close enough to the city border, that people could come in from the suburbs and go shopping at Federal’s as well. Federal’s Department Store was very successful throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s.In 1969, Federal’s started to lose money and business, in large part because Northland Mall was built only a few miles away. Federal’s Department Store had to file for bankruptcy in 1972 and to close their stores. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the former Federal’s Department Store opened up a few different times under different names, including the once-popular Kingsway Department Store.
In 1990, Mammoth Shopping Center opened as “The Saving Place,” as it was a lower-budget department store. Mammoth Shopping Center did fairly well, as it stayed open up longer than any other company that took over the building, other than the original Federal’s. Mammoth Shopping Center stayed open for almost eleven years. Unfortunately, Mammoth Shopping Center closed for good in 2001.
Plans in 2011 called for the former department store to become a new “Forman Mills,” but not surprisingly, it never happened. As of 2015, Mammoth Shopping Center is still abandoned. There are no current plans for the abandoned shopping mall.