Landmark Mall

Landmark Mall (or Landmark Regional Shopping Center) (formally Landmark Center) was an American shopping mall. Located in a triangle formed by Duke Street (Virginia State Route 236), Interstate 395, and Van Dorn Street (Virginia State Route 401) in Alexandria, Virginia, the mall opened in 1965 and closed on January 31, 2017. The mall was anchored by Sears, Lord & Taylor and Macy's.

Landmark Mall
Mall interior, 2015
LocationAlexandria, Virginia
Coordinates38°48′58.3″N 77°7′54.1″W
AddressDuke St., I-395 and Van Dorn St.
Opening dateAugust 4, 1965 (Enclosed in 1990)
Closing dateJanuary 31, 2017
Previous namesLandmark Center
OwnerHoward Hughes Corporation
No. of stores and services0 (125 at peak)
No. of anchor tenants0 (3 at peak)
Total retail floor area675,000 square feet (62,700 m2)
No. of floors3
Public transit accessLandmark Mall Rdwy & Mall Entrance Bus interchange  35   29KN   32   30 
Landmark Mall in 2021

History

The mall opened on August 4, 1965, with Virginia Lt. Gov. Mills E. Godwin, Jr. cutting the ceremonial ribbon.[1] It was the first mall in the Washington D.C. area to feature three anchor department stores; the Hecht Co. (later Macy's) (163,000 square feet (15,100 m2)), Sears (236,000 square feet (21,900 m2)), and Woodward & Lothrop (later JCPenney, then Lord & Taylor) (151,000 square feet (14,000 m2)).[2] The mall opened with 32 stores in the 675,000-square-foot (62,700 m2) center including Bond Clothes, Casual Corner, People's Drug Store, Raleigh Haberdasher, Thom McAn, and Waldenbooks.[3] The center also included the second location of S&W Cafeteria in the Washington D.C. suburbs.

Originally an outdoor mall, it was enclosed in 1990.[4][5]

In 2006 the mall's owner, General Growth Properties, announced its plan to convert the mall into an open-air "town center" shopping center.[6][4] The plans were not realized.

The Howard Hughes Corporation became the new owner in 2009.[4] Lord & Taylor announced in May of the same year that it would be closing its store at the mall.[7]

The Howard Hughes Corporation showed its plan to transform the site into an 'urban town' in 2013. The plan would turn the mall into an outdoor center with retail and residential facilities.[4][8]

In June 2013, Alexandria City Council approved the plans to redevelop the mall.[5]

On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced it would close its Landmark Mall store that year.[9] Subsequently, the mall's owners notified tenants (except Sears) they were to vacate by January 31, indicating that approved redevelopment is imminent.[10][11] At final build out, Landmark would transform into a walkable, mixed-use urban village with approximately 317,000 square feet (29,500 m2) of modern shops and restaurants, up to 400 new residential units and an updated parking structure. In addition to the new retail and residences, the new Landmark would be an open-air community destination featuring multiple plazas and green spaces, outdoor seating, seasonal entertainment, and public art. There would be numerous full-service and fast-casual dining options, and a 10-screen luxury cinema.[12] Howard Hughes purchased the Macy's site in 2017.[11] In June 2018, the vacant Macy's store was transformed into a homeless shelter.[13] In November 2018, Howard Hughes Corporation announced it had partnered with Seritage Growth Properties, which owns the Sears site, and among the 235 properties Sears Holdings spun-off in 2015 into Seritage, to redevelop the entire 51-acre (20.639-hectare) property.[14][15]

The 2020 film Wonder Woman 1984 had scenes filmed at the mall in June and July 2018.[16] In this film, it is named the "Southfields Mall" and received a 1980s-themed makeover.[17]

As of early 2020, planning related to demolition and redevelopment was still in progress and decisions about funding and issuing of permits were not completed.[18]

On July 1, 2020, it was announced that Sears would also be closing as part of a plan to close 28 stores nationwide which would leave the mall entirely vacant.[19]

On December 22, 2020, it was announced that the area would be redeveloped as a new mixed-use development with a new Inova Alexandria Hospital, with the existing hospital beginning to be relocated in 2025.[20]

On July 6, 2021, it was announced that the Alexandria City Council unanimously approved the redevelopment agreements for the site of the former Landmark Mall, which will result in up to approximately four million square feet of new development. The project will be anchored by the relocation and expansion of Inova's Alexandria Hospital bringing more than 2,000 healthcare workers to the medical campus. As part of the collaboration between the City and Inova, the Alexandria City Council also approved a master plan amendment and rezoning of the current Inova Alexandria Hospital site on Seminary Road to permit a variety of residential uses, which will facilitate the sale of the property in advance of its relocation to the Landmark site. This land-use decision was the first legislative action by Council required to bring this plan to reality. Alexandria City Council also approved the use of $54 million in public bond financing to allow the city to acquire the land for the hospital and lease it to Inova, as well as $86 million in public bond financing for site preparation and infrastructure at the Landmark site and adjacent Duke Street and Van Dorn Street corridors.[21][22][23] On January 24, 2022, it was announced that the project would be renamed to WestEnd Alexandria.[24][25]

Demolition began on May 12, 2022, and is expected to last for six months. The parking garage will be left intact.[26]

The mall in May 2022, a few days after demolition commenced

Anchors
Landmark Mall, Landmark, Virginia
Landmark Mall is still undergoing demolition.
Landmark Mall's Macy's, 2020

References
  1. Wagner, Ruth; Weckley, Larry (August 5, 1965). "Sears, Hecht Stores Open in Alexandria Amidst Music, Bargains, Traffic Jams". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. F1.
  2. Goodman, S. Oliver (September 22, 1963). "New Area Center to Get 3 Major Stores". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. E8.
  3. "Sears, Hecht Open New Stores Today". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. August 4, 1965. p. E8.
  4. Leonard, Rachel (April 9, 2013). "Landmark Mall Redevelopment: Residents Hopeful". West End Alexandria, VA Patch. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  5. Pope, Michael Lee (June 27, 2013). "Landmark Neighborhood Braces for Drastic Redevelopment". Alexandria Gazette. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  6. Deane, Daniela (January 24, 2008). "Moving a Landmark Into a New Era: Plans to Convert the Historic Mall Into an Open-Air Center Are Getting Revived". The Washington Post. p. VA12.
  7. Haynes, V. Dion (May 30, 2009). "Lord & Taylor to Leave Troubled Mall". The Washington Post.
  8. "Landmark Mall Redevelopment". City of Alexandria, VA. September 4, 2013. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  9. Clabaugh, Jeff (January 4, 2017). "Landmark Mall Macy's among those closing". WTOP News. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  10. Culver, David (January 8, 2017). "Store Owners Say They've Been Asked to Vacate Landmark Mall". WRC News. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  11. Hansen, Drew (January 9, 2017). "Landmark Mall to close, setting the stage for redevelopment". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  12. "Home". The New Landmark Mall. January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  13. Corkery, Michael (June 13, 2017). "A Macy's Goes from Mall Mainstay to Homeless Shelter". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  14. "At Landmark Mall". Seritage.
  15. Neibauer, Michael (November 15, 2018). "Landmark Mall is now under one company's control". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  16. Neibauer, Michael (May 3, 2018). "'Wonder Woman 2' to film at Alexandria's dead Landmark Mall". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  17. Lefrak, Mikaela (December 29, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Filmed In Landmark Mall And Alexandria Doesn't Want You To Forget It". DCist. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  18. Miles, Vernon (October 3, 2019). "City Staff Mulls Public Funding for Landmark Mall Redevelopment". ALXNow. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  19. "Sears to Close Landmark Mall Store". Alexandria Living. July 2, 2020.
  20. Sullivan, Patricia (December 22, 2020). "Inova plans major new hospital, offices at Alexandria's Landmark Mall site". The Washington Post.
  21. "Alexandria City Council Approves Development Agreements to Transform Landmark Mall Site into Mixed-Use Community and State-of-the-Art Medical Campus" (Press release). City of Alexandria, VA. July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  22. "Alexandria approves plan for Landmark Mall renovation, new Inova hospital". InsideNoVa.com. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  23. Clabaugh, Jeff (July 7, 2021). "Alexandria approves long-planned Landmark Mall development". WTOP News. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  24. Neibauer, Michael (January 24, 2022). "Landmark Mall redevelopment gets new name". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  25. Leayman, Emily (February 2, 2022). "Landmark Mall Redevelopment Renamed West End Alexandria". Old Town Alexandria, VA Patch. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  26. Moore, Susannah (April 14, 2022). "Foulger-Pratt to Begin Demolition of Landmark Mall in May". Alexandria Living.
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