Iverson Mall

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Iverson Mall


image_width = 100
caption =
location =
opening_date = 1967
owner=
manager= H&R Retail, Inc.
developer=
number_of_stores =
number_of_anchors = 3
floor_area =
parking =
floors= 2
website = [http://www.iversonmall.com/ Iverson Mall]
footnotes = The Iverson Mall is a shopping mall located at the intersection of Branch Avenue (Maryland State Route 5) and Iverson Street (Maryland State Route 458), in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, just north of the Marlow Heights Shopping Center. It was the first shopping mall in the Washington D.C. area to be built fully enclosed.

History

The Montgomery Ward (165,000 square ft.) store opened on April 20, 1967, when Maryland Gov. J. Millard Tawes cut the ceremonial ribbon. ["Ward Signs for New Store," "The Washington Post, Times Herald", Apr 8, 1965, p. B9.] ["WARD OPENING", "The Washington Post, Times Herald", Apr 21, 1966, p. C8.] The second anchor of the two anchor mall, Woodward & Lothrop, opened its store in the Spring of 1967. ["Four More Stores in the Making As Woodies Strives to Keep Lead," by S. Oliver Goodman, "The Washington Post, Times Herald", Jun 19, 1966, p. L3.] With both anchors in place and 60 stores, the grand opening of the $10 million, 500,000 square foot center occurred September 21, 1967. [Article, "The Washington Post, Times Herald", Sep 22, 1967, p. D9.]

A unique design feature of the mall is that it straddles Iverson Street, which bisects the structure. Also attached at the front of the mall is a four story office building. Originally built as a regional shopping center, it faded after the opening of nearby Landover Mall in 1972. By the mid-1990s the two anchor stores closed and were replaced with discount department stores. In 2008, the mall is undergoing something of a revitalization with the adoption of a new slogan and advertising campaign, "You Can Find it All --- at Iverson Mall." [http://www.iversonmall.com/]

Anchors and major retailers

*Burlington Coat Factory - formerly Value City, formerly Woodward & Lothrop
*Forman Mills - formerly Montgomery Ward (part)
*Total Save - formerly Montgomery Ward (part)

Former anchors

*Montgomery Ward - Original anchor
*Woodward & Lothrop - Original anchor

References

External links

* [http://www.iversonmall.com/ Iverson Mall website (accessed Aug 20, 2008)]
* [http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html Mall Hall of Fame Blogspot --- includes original mall layout and photographs (accessed Aug 20, 2008)]
* [http://www.marlowheights60sand70s.com/html/marlow_heights_now.html Marlow Heights area history website, accessed Aug 27, 2008]