Midland Mall's Malltopia Play Place Nears Opening After Delays

The five-story indoor playground has faced construction challenges but is now in the final stage of development.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 5:03pm

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After months of delays and construction setbacks, Midland Mall officials say their long-awaited indoor play place, Malltopia, is now in the final stage of development and could open later this month once remaining electrical work is completed and approved. The five-story attraction, described as Michigan's tallest indoor playground, has been under development since fall 2024 and was previously expected to open in December 2025, but the project proved far more complex than the team initially anticipated.

Why it matters

Malltopia represents a major investment by Midland Mall to reinvest in the local community and provide a free, large-scale indoor play area for children. The project has drawn attention not only because of its size, but also because it has been built in-house by the mall's own construction team instead of by outside contractors, saving the mall tens of thousands of dollars.

The details

One of the biggest challenges involved a 60-foot boom lift purchased to help install piping and other components, which broke down several times leading to repeated delays. The construction team also had to add reinforcements to the structure, welding in 'tons of extra supports' to ensure the play place exceeded safety recommendations. Lighting also became a major issue as the team realized the interior was too dark after the fifth floor was installed, leading them to add rope lighting throughout the play structure.

  • Malltopia has been under development since fall 2024.
  • The play place was previously expected to open in December 2025.
  • The final stage of the project, including installing permanent wiring for more than 1,000 feet of lighting, is set to begin next week.
  • Once the electrical work passes inspection, the mall says it expects to announce opening dates.

The players

Beccah Billmeier

Operations manager for Midland Mall, who contributed welding expertise to the construction of Malltopia.

Devin Yarbrough

Worked on the overall structure, components and stabilization of Malltopia.

Brent Kilbreath

Served as the main rigger, also assisting with stabilization and climbing work on Malltopia.

Jordan Dice

The owner of Midland Mall.

Michael Streeter

The City of Midland Electrical Inspector who worked with the mall on the transition from temporary to permanent lighting for Malltopia.

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What they’re saying

“There are many reasons we have delayed its opening. We underestimated the complexity vastly.”

— Beccah Billmeier, Operations Manager, Midland Mall

“The team would come together, share thoughts on how to make it stronger and more stable.”

— Beccah Billmeier, Operations Manager, Midland Mall

“I personally think it's much cooler to have built this in-house, knowing that this came to be by a small group of local construction guys and one construction girl. It's a labor of love and we are very proud of ourselves, knowing that we did this.”

— Beccah Billmeier, Operations Manager, Midland Mall

What’s next

Once the final electrical work passes inspection, the mall says it expects to announce opening dates for Malltopia.

The takeaway

Midland Mall's Malltopia project showcases the mall's commitment to reinvesting in the local community and providing free, large-scale amenities for families, despite facing significant construction challenges that required the in-house team's ingenuity and perseverance to overcome.