Lansing Mall was built by Detroit, Michigan-based mall developers Forbes-Cohen, just outside the state capital of Lansing, Michigan within Delta Township along M-43 (Saginaw Highway). It officially opened to the public on July 31, 1969. Originally, it included three anchor stores: Montgomery Ward at the eastern end, Federal's at the western end, and Wurzburg's, a department store based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the middle. Other major tenants at opening included Cunningham Drug, Schensul's Cafeteria, and McCrory. Wurzburg's sold its store to the Lansing-based J.W. Knapp Company (Knapp's) in March 1972, in order to focus on its Grand Rapids-area stores. In December of the same year, Federal's announced the closure of six stores due to a bankruptcy filing, including both the Lansing Mall store and a second Lansing-area location at the Frandor Shopping Center. Robert Hall Clothes announced in late 1974 that it would open a Robert Hall Village discount store in the former Federal's space. This store also lasted only three years, and its inventory was liquidated in 1977 after Robert Hall filed for bankruptcy.
