List of Detroit-area A&P stores from 1983
Posted: 10 Dec 2016 13:35
While rifling through old newspapers for research, I was pleased this week to uncover a list of A&P stores that operated in the Detroit area, from the Northville Record of June 29, 1983!
photographed during my visit to Michigan last summer: Maybe they had closed before 1983 in A&P's constant bouts of pruning and contraction; maybe not.
42 stores are listed. Of the buildings that survive today, 14 or 15 are centennials. Most of the others are generic post-centennial and shopping-center stores, usually with some kind of mansard and a protruding atrium with entrances at either end. If any archaic pre-1960s downtown stores were still operating in 1983, they're not listed here.
The addresses don't seem to be listed on the page in any particular order, but I've listed them alphabetically here along with their present-day dispositions. 9 or 10 of these still house food stores today. Enjoy:
* 1025 St. Clair River, Algonac, MI
Appears to have been razed and replaced by a CVS.
* 201 3rd St, Belleville, MI
Centennial-roof store with a severely-disguised facade. Now a medical practice.
* 2624 W. 11 Mile, Berkley, MI
Centennial-roof store, now remodeled and vacant. The front gable is offset to the far-right end of the facade, which looks very strange...surely they didn't build it that way?
* 555 Adams, Birmingham, MI
Centennial-roof store, with half the original roofline now obscured. Vacant?
* 3600 W. Maple, Birmingham, MI
Expanded and renovated beyond recognition, still selling groceries as a Kroger. An ambiguous semblance of a centennial roof is visible in aerial images.
* 8483 (or 6483?) W. Grand River, Brighton, MI
I can't place this one. The Grand River address numbers seem to jump from the 700s to the 8700s as the road passes over South Ore Creek.
* 7215 E. 10 Mile, Center Line, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now ABC Warehouse electronics.
* 5785 Ortonville, Clarkston, MI
Shopping-center location. Possibly now a Rite Aid; though it may have been rebuilt.
* 13250 Ford Rd, Dearborn, MI
Now the site of a CVS, that may or may not be housed in a remodel of the original building.
* 27335 W. Warren, Dearborn, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now evidently vacant.
* 21025 Ann Arbor Trail, Dearborn Heights, MI
Unclear where to place this one; the address now resolves to a residential neighborhood. Misprint?
* 15061 Houston-Whittier, Detroit, MI
Unusual centennial-roof store with a smaller profile and narrow front facade, still selling groceries as a Save-a-Lot food store.
* 5858 W. Vernor, Detroit, MI
Centennial-roof store (missing its front gable), still selling groceries as a Ryan's Foods store.
* 23300 Farmington Rd, Farmington, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now houses the Fresh Thyme farmer's market, with the centennial roof completely hidden from view.
* 14510 Second, Highland Park, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola. Now the George Washington Carver Academy, with a long and narrow annex built in front of the store where part of the parking lot used to be (and yet another annex in the rear).
* 605 N. Cedar, Imlay City, MI
Generic shopping-center store (albeit with stone accents on the facade). Now a Goodwill thrift store.
* 1101 Lapeer Rd, Lake Orion, MI
Generic store paired with a late 1970s-era Kmart, still selling groceries as a Hollywood Market.
* 2400 W. Fort St, Lincoln Park, MI
Razed and replaced by a new CVS store.
* 29583 W. 5 Mile, Livonia, MI
Generic 1970s store. Now subdivided.
* 31020 John R, Madison Heights, MI
Razed and replaced by a Sam's Club.
* 42475 W. 7 Mile Rd, Northville, MI
Generic 1970s store. This is the one store on the list I have a memory of shopping inside. Now it stands vacant, much like the psychiatric hospital it sits down the street from.
* 41840 W. 10 Mile Rd, Novi, MI
Generic 1970s store, still selling groceries as a Busch's Fresh Food Market.
* 22150 Coolidge Rd, Oak Park, MI
Shopping-center store (likely expanded and renovated beyond recognition), still selling groceries as a Glory Supermarket.
* 3232 Orchard Lake Rd, Orchard Lake, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 775 Baldwin, Pontiac, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola. Now a Sav-Plus pharmacy.
* 5975 Highland Rd, Pontiac, MI
Evidently razed and replaced by a new Kroger.
* 1639 Garfield, Port Huron, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola, tucked out of the way behind a shopping center. Now evidently vacant.
* 729 Howard, Port Huron, MI
Centennial-roof store. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 19020 Fort St, Riverview, MI
Generic 1970s store, now subdivided.
* 637 Main St, Rochester, MI
Appears to have been razed and replaced by a salon or massage parlor.
* 66030 Van Dyke, Romeo, MI
Centennial-roof store. Now Tractor Supply Co.
* 465 W. Michigan, Saline, MI
Unclear where to place this; Google thinks it's in a lake.
* 25281 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI
Shopping-center store. May still be selling groceries as an Imperial Your Neighborhood Market (sic); though I suspect the configuration of the center has changed.
* 11055 Allen Rd, Southgate, MI
Centennial-roof store, still reasonably intact. Now houses the Trentwood Farms farmer's market, which is almost like a supermarket.
* 24001 Harper, St. Clair Stores, MI
Razed and replaced by a new shopping center.
* 32201 Harper, St. Clair Shores, MI
Evidently razed and replaced by a new Walgreens.
* 35170 Dodge Park, Sterling Heights, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 23135 Ecorse Rd, Taylor, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now Ace Hardware.
* 5047 Rochester Rd, Troy, MI
Store in a shopping center with decorative stone walls; now a boxing club (if it's the south anchor as I suspect). A real estate link dates the site to 1969.
* 1154 E. West Maple, Walled Lake, MI
Generic shopping-center store, now Harbor Freight Tools.
* 35400 E. Michigan Ave, Wayne, MI
Very late 1970s-looking store with diagonal wood slats on the facade, still selling groceries as a Fresh Choice Food Center. I wonder if this was a standard A&P design?
* 132 Merriman, Westland, MI
Generic 1970s store. Now subdivided with a new Kroger next door.
I don't know if this is a complete list of stores. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are conspicuous by their absence; although Saline (south of Ann Arbor) is listed. Also left unlisted are the stores in Howell and Taylor I 42 stores are listed. Of the buildings that survive today, 14 or 15 are centennials. Most of the others are generic post-centennial and shopping-center stores, usually with some kind of mansard and a protruding atrium with entrances at either end. If any archaic pre-1960s downtown stores were still operating in 1983, they're not listed here.
The addresses don't seem to be listed on the page in any particular order, but I've listed them alphabetically here along with their present-day dispositions. 9 or 10 of these still house food stores today. Enjoy:
* 1025 St. Clair River, Algonac, MI
Appears to have been razed and replaced by a CVS.
* 201 3rd St, Belleville, MI
Centennial-roof store with a severely-disguised facade. Now a medical practice.
* 2624 W. 11 Mile, Berkley, MI
Centennial-roof store, now remodeled and vacant. The front gable is offset to the far-right end of the facade, which looks very strange...surely they didn't build it that way?
* 555 Adams, Birmingham, MI
Centennial-roof store, with half the original roofline now obscured. Vacant?
* 3600 W. Maple, Birmingham, MI
Expanded and renovated beyond recognition, still selling groceries as a Kroger. An ambiguous semblance of a centennial roof is visible in aerial images.
* 8483 (or 6483?) W. Grand River, Brighton, MI
I can't place this one. The Grand River address numbers seem to jump from the 700s to the 8700s as the road passes over South Ore Creek.
* 7215 E. 10 Mile, Center Line, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now ABC Warehouse electronics.
* 5785 Ortonville, Clarkston, MI
Shopping-center location. Possibly now a Rite Aid; though it may have been rebuilt.
* 13250 Ford Rd, Dearborn, MI
Now the site of a CVS, that may or may not be housed in a remodel of the original building.
* 27335 W. Warren, Dearborn, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now evidently vacant.
* 21025 Ann Arbor Trail, Dearborn Heights, MI
Unclear where to place this one; the address now resolves to a residential neighborhood. Misprint?
* 15061 Houston-Whittier, Detroit, MI
Unusual centennial-roof store with a smaller profile and narrow front facade, still selling groceries as a Save-a-Lot food store.
* 5858 W. Vernor, Detroit, MI
Centennial-roof store (missing its front gable), still selling groceries as a Ryan's Foods store.
* 23300 Farmington Rd, Farmington, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now houses the Fresh Thyme farmer's market, with the centennial roof completely hidden from view.
* 14510 Second, Highland Park, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola. Now the George Washington Carver Academy, with a long and narrow annex built in front of the store where part of the parking lot used to be (and yet another annex in the rear).
* 605 N. Cedar, Imlay City, MI
Generic shopping-center store (albeit with stone accents on the facade). Now a Goodwill thrift store.
* 1101 Lapeer Rd, Lake Orion, MI
Generic store paired with a late 1970s-era Kmart, still selling groceries as a Hollywood Market.
* 2400 W. Fort St, Lincoln Park, MI
Razed and replaced by a new CVS store.
* 29583 W. 5 Mile, Livonia, MI
Generic 1970s store. Now subdivided.
* 31020 John R, Madison Heights, MI
Razed and replaced by a Sam's Club.
* 42475 W. 7 Mile Rd, Northville, MI
Generic 1970s store. This is the one store on the list I have a memory of shopping inside. Now it stands vacant, much like the psychiatric hospital it sits down the street from.
* 41840 W. 10 Mile Rd, Novi, MI
Generic 1970s store, still selling groceries as a Busch's Fresh Food Market.
* 22150 Coolidge Rd, Oak Park, MI
Shopping-center store (likely expanded and renovated beyond recognition), still selling groceries as a Glory Supermarket.
* 3232 Orchard Lake Rd, Orchard Lake, MI
Centennial-roof store that was part of a shopping center. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 775 Baldwin, Pontiac, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola. Now a Sav-Plus pharmacy.
* 5975 Highland Rd, Pontiac, MI
Evidently razed and replaced by a new Kroger.
* 1639 Garfield, Port Huron, MI
Centennial-roof store with intact cupola, tucked out of the way behind a shopping center. Now evidently vacant.
* 729 Howard, Port Huron, MI
Centennial-roof store. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 19020 Fort St, Riverview, MI
Generic 1970s store, now subdivided.
* 637 Main St, Rochester, MI
Appears to have been razed and replaced by a salon or massage parlor.
* 66030 Van Dyke, Romeo, MI
Centennial-roof store. Now Tractor Supply Co.
* 465 W. Michigan, Saline, MI
Unclear where to place this; Google thinks it's in a lake.
* 25281 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI
Shopping-center store. May still be selling groceries as an Imperial Your Neighborhood Market (sic); though I suspect the configuration of the center has changed.
* 11055 Allen Rd, Southgate, MI
Centennial-roof store, still reasonably intact. Now houses the Trentwood Farms farmer's market, which is almost like a supermarket.
* 24001 Harper, St. Clair Stores, MI
Razed and replaced by a new shopping center.
* 32201 Harper, St. Clair Shores, MI
Evidently razed and replaced by a new Walgreens.
* 35170 Dodge Park, Sterling Heights, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now a Salvation Army thrift store.
* 23135 Ecorse Rd, Taylor, MI
Generic shopping-center store. Now Ace Hardware.
* 5047 Rochester Rd, Troy, MI
Store in a shopping center with decorative stone walls; now a boxing club (if it's the south anchor as I suspect). A real estate link dates the site to 1969.
* 1154 E. West Maple, Walled Lake, MI
Generic shopping-center store, now Harbor Freight Tools.
* 35400 E. Michigan Ave, Wayne, MI
Very late 1970s-looking store with diagonal wood slats on the facade, still selling groceries as a Fresh Choice Food Center. I wonder if this was a standard A&P design?
* 132 Merriman, Westland, MI
Generic 1970s store. Now subdivided with a new Kroger next door.