Meijer Store #1 - Greenville MI (Picture Heavy!)

[cammers1995]

 

As I said in my introduction topic, I am heavily facinated by the original Meijer Store on Lafayette St, in Greenville. (Aka, Store #1)

This store still stands and is used for many things. The far right is used as a food pantry and a thrift store. The majority of the middle is a BMX track and the far left is some unknown thing. (I believe it WAS a chaple). The building is in bad shape though. The roof is leaking terribly and the thrift store has many storage totes sitting under the leaks. (There are at least 30 of them, no joke. Its bad.)

 

 

I have many photos of the building from last year:

 

 

 

 

Some of the coolest things are that the Welcome Sign above the non 24 hour entrance is still partially lit up, and the building still appears to look like a Meijer. 

Anyone else have their own stories, photos, etc to share? 

[Allison Slater]

No photos but can be seen partially on google streetview, the 54th & Clyde Park Meijer still has glass-enclosed entries like the Greenville Meijer, only that glass goes all the way to the ground.

[cammers1995]

No photos but can be seen partially on google streetview, the 54th & Clyde Park Meijer still has glass-enclosed entries like the Greenville Meijer, only that glass goes all the way to the ground.

I've always loved the old design they used for the entrance pavilions. It was also my favorite when they would have the lit up entry signs. The Jackson MI east end Meijer was a near twin to the original Greenville location before the east end Meijer was heavily redone throughout the 90s and 2000's.

[getemngo]

I really love that this store is intact. The curved glass facade is fast going extinct with all the remodels that have come in the last 10 years. There is (or were) two similar abandoned stores in the Columbus, Ohio area.

However, this building was not the first Meijer store. It is true that Greenville was home to the first Meijer supermarket, but the first Thrifty Acres superstore was at 28th & Kalamazoo in Grand Rapids (torn down and rebuilt in 2010). Holland, Grand Haven, and at least one Kalamazoo store opened before Greenville. In fact, I don't know the date the store you photographed was built, but 54th & Clyde Park looks like a similar vintage and it's store #36.

[wingbert]

You know what I find kind of pathetic?  The fact that you drive into Greenville and their welcome to the city signage notes that they are the birthplace of Meijer.  However, there's also a freaking Wal-Mart in that town and drive by there anytime and you'll see the parking lot full.  

The same town that talked about pride, loyalty, etc. when they fought to keep Electrolux from leaving seems to have no trouble supporting a company that would love nothing more than to put Meijer out of business.  There’s something sad about that.

[cammers1995]

Sorry to bump but I wanted to add something. 

I work at Greenville's newer store (built 2001 to replace store #1 located across town). The managers were all told Meijer Corp now owns the former Meijer as of January of this year. They purchased back the property but won't say why. Currently the former meijer building is sectioned off into three spaces. The former 24 hour entrance opens into a thrift store, the old side entrance is for the pantry and the general merch entrance is for the BMX track.

 

No idea why they own it again. Could Meijer have bought it to build a distribution center? Greenville isn't big enough to support two, which was why they closed the otherone down in may 2001 in the first place.