Fair Oaks Mall

Fair Oaks Mall is a shopping mall in the Fair Oaks census-designated place (CDP) of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, just northwest of the independent city of Fairfax. It is located at the intersection of Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 50. The mall has a gross leasable area (GLA) of 1,557,000 sq ft (144,700 m2). The mall features the traditional retailers Macy's, Macy's Furniture Gallery, JCPenney, Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy in addition to a Dave & Buster's. The mall also features prominent specialty retailers such as Apple, MAC Cosmetics, Ardene, Pottery Barn, Miniso, Windsor, Sephora, and Williams Sonoma.[2]

Fair Oaks Mall
Fair Oaks Mall in November 2016
LocationFair Oaks, Fairfax County, Virginia
Address11750 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, Virginia 22033
Opening dateJuly 31, 1980 (1980-07-31)
DeveloperA. Alfred Taubman
ManagementTaubman Centers
OwnerTaubman Centers
No. of stores and services170+[1]
No. of anchor tenants5
Total retail floor area1,557,000 sq ft (144,700 m2)[1]
No. of floors2 (3 in Macy's)
Websitehttp://www.shopfairoaksmall.com

History

Fair Oaks Mall officially opened on July 31, 1980.[3] The 1,400,000-square-foot (130,000 m2) mall, developed by the Taubman Company, opened in the midst of a recession, with only four of six anchor stores in operation (Hecht's, JCPenney, Sears, and Woodward & Lothrop) and 15 other storefronts occupied, leaving three fourths of the storefronts empty. The two remaining anchors opened shortly after: in-line junior anchor Garfinckel's on August 21, 1980, and Lord & Taylor in spring 1981. Developers expected 60 to be occupied by the Christmas season and 100 by the following year. Upon opening, it was the largest mall in the Washington, D.C., area. It included the first suburban Washington location of the British homegoods store Conran's.[4]

In 1982, the Fair Oaks Mall was one of the first sites used by Sears as part of its effort to offer financial services to customers, including stocks, bonds, insurance and real estate, from its Dean Witter, Allstate and Coldwell Banker subsidiaries.[5]

In 1987, the mall's owners attempted to evict Garfinckel's and a related company, Raleigh Stores Holding, Inc., claiming that the store owners had not received the landlord's permission to assign the lease after Allied Stores divested some lines of business.[6] The Garfinckel's chain went out of business in 1990, and Woodward & Lothrop used the space as an auxiliary store for home furnishings.[7] After Woodward & Lothrop went out of business, their furniture store became a Mastercraft furniture store,[8] and then Forever 21 in 2008.[9] In 1998, Lord & Taylor moved from its original location to the old Woodward & Lothrop store. The old Lord & Taylor was converted to the mall's first Macy's.

In 1988, seeking to reach out to a broader range of patrons, the Fairfax library system opened a 10,000-volume branch at the Fair Oaks Mall.[10] The mall also contains a Virginia DMV customer service center.

From 2013 through 2014 Fair Oaks Mall underwent a renovation of the common areas of the mall. The five entrances to the mall were completely renovated, and a grand entrance was built on the north side of the mall along Route 50. The interior was updated with new floor tile, seating areas, technology tables, lighting, furniture, and the Michael & Son Fun Zone for children (since renamed).

The sit-down dining offerings in the mall include restaurant and entertainment facility Dave & Buster's, Cheesecake Factory, Brio Tuscan Grille, Texas de Brazil, Breakers Korean BBQ & Grill, Sushi On, and Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar.

In March 2021, it was announced that in anticipation for the proposed Orange Line extension as well as the planned transit hub in the vicinity, that Taubman, the mall development firm, has won amendment approval to allow them to construct an open air addition at the center which includes 2000 housing units, offices, and hotel uses, totaling up to 4.8 million square feet. Plans also call for a central plaza and other urban parks throughout the development which will allow for gathering spaces and a space for public events.[11][12]

By 2023, since the government lockdown, Fair Oaks Mall has also announced several newest additions, among them are Ardene, Lovisa, Showcase, Miniso, as well as an upcoming location for Movement, an indoor climbing gymnasium which is also set to feature fitness and a yoga studio.[13][14][15]

References
  1. "Leasing sheet" (PDF). Taubman Centers. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. "Fair Oaks Mall gets a new look". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-04-08. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  3. "Mall: The Fountains! The Parasols! The Parking," by Lynn Darling, The Washington Post, Aug 1, 1980, p. C1.
  4. "New Fair Oaks Mall Runs Afoul of Recession," by Jerry Knight, The Washington Post, Jul 27, 1980, p. F1.
  5. "Sears's Experiment In Financial Sales", The New York Times, October 7, 1982. p. D1.
  6. ""Mall owners sues to evict unit of Garfinckel's". (Fair Oaks Mall, Va.) Daily News Record, December 1987 by Betsy Stanton". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  7. "Woodies To Expand At Fair Oaks". The Washington Post. 30 May 1990. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  8. Harris, Pat Lopes (28 September 1998). "Mastercraft Interiors goes malling in Va., Md". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  9. Mui, Yian Q. "Increase in Area Retail Vacancies Is Modest". The Washington Post. 4 August 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  10. "Branching Out; Area Libraries Aren't Just for Books Anymore", The Washington Post, October 13, 1988. pg. v.01
  11. https://www.focusonnova.com/fair-oaks-mall-redevelopment/
  12. https://ggwash.org/view/80344/the-fair-oaks-mall-could-be-copnverted-into-affordable-housing
  13. Kettner, Michele (2023-06-21). "New State-of-the-Art Climbing Gym Slated for Fairfax". Northern Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  14. https://www.ffxnow.com/2022/08/03/springfield-town-center-adds-fashion-store-with-tacos-and-legos-coming/
  15. "Home goods retailer MINISO opens 10 N' Under store at Fair Oaks Mall | FFXnow". FFXnow | Fairfax County, Va. breaking news and local happenings. 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
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