Laurel Mall

Laurel Mall is a shopping mall located on the west side of U.S. Route 1 in Laurel, Maryland. The mall was opened in 1979cite news |title=Crown America to manage Maryland regional mall |url=http://retailtrafficmag.com/news/retail_crown_american_manage/ |work=Retail Traffic |publisher=Penton Media, Inc. |date=2001-11-01 |accessdate=2008-07-09 ] and connected two pre-existing structures – the freestanding Montgomery Ward on its south side and Laurel Shopping Center to the north. ["Laurel Centre Expansion Under Way," "The Washington Post", June 30, 1978, p. F1.]

History

The mall was first named Laurel Centre Mall and included two anchor stores, Montgomery Ward and JCPenney, with a third anchor, Hecht's, added in 1981. The 167,000 square foot Montgomery Ward store opened for business on April 16, 1969. ["Ward to Open Fifth Area Store in Laurel," "The Washington Post, Times Herald" April 13, 1969, p. 138.] The 83,000 square foot JCPenney store opened in 1979, with the 265,000 square foot Laurel Centre expansion. The Hecht Company moved its store from its previous location in the Laurel Shopping Center. In 1991, the 662,000 square foot mall received a $2 million face lift and update. ["Laurel Centre Gets Makeover," "The Washington Post", March 21, 1991, p. MD1C.] Though small in comparison with most malls today, Laurel Mall has two levels and, when it opened, had modern innovations such as a rotating circular platform with four small stores in the center, and a glass-sided walkway over a roadway and parking lot between JCPenney and the Laurel Shopping Center.

Present

In recent years, the Mall has been in decline, for various reasons. Many stores which were once staples of the mall, such as JCPenney and Montgomery Ward, have closed and given way to more "mom and pop" retail spaces. As a result, business at the mall has dwindled. Today, a Burlington Coat Factory occupies most of the former Montgomery Ward space. Macy's has replaced Hecht's. On two occasions, sections of the aging parking decks have crumbled and fallen onto the parking lots below, resulting in their closure. [cite news |first=Allison |last=Klein |title=Walkway Collapse Shuts Laurel Mall |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/01/AR2005070102089.html |work=Washington Post |publisher=The Washington Post Company |date=2005-07-02 |accessdate=2008-07-09 ]

Redevelopment

In 2006, the mall fell into receivership and was sold to Somera Capital Management, which owns and operates many malls across the nation, for $31 million. Somera hired General Growth Properties, which owns and operates nearby Columbia Mall to redevelop the space. Renovation plans were unveiled to the public on January 30, 2007, at Laurel City Hall. The plans include a new 80,000-square-foot anchor, a 16-screen Regal Theaters with stadium seating, a two-story bookstore, a new food court, restaurants with sidewalk dining (including Mimi's Cafe), new national and regional shops, a new parking deck, a redesigned exterior of bricks and stones, and a new interior. The redesigned mall will receive a new name, "Laurel Commons," and will be accompanied by luxury apartments and a grocery store on the mall property. The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin construction in August 2008.

Anchors

Current

* Macy's (the former Hecht's
* Burlington Coat Factory (since 2001, replaced Wards)

Former

* Hecht's (became Macy's in 2006)
* JCPenney (became International Furniture)
* Montgomery Ward (became Burlington Coat Factory)
* International Furniture (closed 2008)

Further reading

*cite news |title='Mall Repair' in Laurel - Foundering Shopping Center To Get an Extreme Makeover|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030401209.html|publisher= "The Washington Post" | first=Ylan Q. |last=Mui |date=March 5, 2007
*cite news |title= 'Mall Repair' in Laurel - Foundering Shopping Center To Get an Extreme Makeover|url=http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=699652
publisher= "Associated Press" |date=February 15, 2006

External links

* [http://shoplaurelcommons.com Laurel Commons] (new website)]
* [http://shoplaurelmall.com Laurel Mall]
* [http://www.generalgrowth.com/properties/MallDirectory.aspx?smuid=806 Laurel Commons] (GGP site)
* [http://www.someracapital.com/our_invest/view_property.php?prop_id=63&page=1&PHPSESSID=e93126b4545901a4f4e8fe1d04b6c487 Somera Capital Management - Laurel Mall]
* [http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=810&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1278973&om=1 Welcome, Laurel Commons] (Laurel Leader article)

References