Retail
Enclosed malls fade from Washington region
Once the economic juggernaut of suburbia, enclosed malls are slowly dying all across America. The Washington region is no exception.
This map shows 31 enclosed malls in the DC area, color-coded by status: green for malls that are still open, and red for malls that are closed or in the process of closing.
The 31 malls on the map range from small local ones like Fair City in Fairfax, to gargantuan super-regional ones like Tysons Corner. The only requirement to be on the map is that malls contain a common interior hallway lined with several shops.
Some, like Pentagon City, are chugging along as healthily as ever. Others, like Seven Corners Center, have been gone for years. Overall, more than 40% of the dots are red.
The reasons malls have closed vary as much as the malls themselves. Some closed because they were housed in cheap buildings that simply reached the end of their intended lifespans, while others couldn't compete with the mixed-use town center developments that have become common in recent years.
Geography seems to be unimportant in whether a mall lives or dies. Red dots permeate all corners of the map, regardless of the wealth of the jurisdiction.
One thing that does seem to make a difference is size. Larger malls that draw from a wider area generally seem more likely to thrive than smaller ones. As the years go by and even more green dots turn to red, it's likely the last hold outs will be the biggest and most famous.
Is this map comprehensive? Did I miss any malls? Let me know in the comments.
Cross-posted at BeyondDC.
 | Dan Malouff is a professional transportation planner for the Arlington County Department of Transportation. He has a degree in Urban Planning from the University of Colorado, and lives a car-free lifestyle in Northwest Washington. His posts are his own opinions and do not represent the views of his employer in any way. He runs the blog BeyondDC and also contributes to the Washington Post Local Opinions blog.   |
Comments
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by John M on Mar 27, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report
Does anyone go to Union Station for shopping if they aren't using it as a transit hub? I know they have shopping, like many transit hubs and airports, but I don't know of it as a shopping destination.
by Tom A. on Mar 27, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report
by JP on Mar 27, 2012 12:16 pm • link • report
by Russell on Mar 27, 2012 12:17 pm • link • report
Yes Waterside mall is closed.
The map also misses Free State Mall in Bowie which has converted from enclosed to open-air. I think Livingston Square at Livingston and Old Fort Road in Ft. Washington is still enclosed
by Jim T on Mar 27, 2012 12:21 pm • link • report
by Anon202 on Mar 27, 2012 12:26 pm • link • report
by Jim T on Mar 27, 2012 12:27 pm • link • report
by Tom A. on Mar 27, 2012 12:29 pm • link • report
by Jim T on Mar 27, 2012 12:30 pm • link • report
The character of some of the malls, such as Union Station and Crystal City, are markedly different from others such as Ballston and Fair Oaks in that they don't have anchor stores. Crystal and Union both seem to be primarily lunch and dinner destinations that serve nearby office workers or transients, and don't have the same draw, making them niche (notwithstanding Anon202 above).
by Jack Love on Mar 27, 2012 12:34 pm • link • report
by RC on Mar 27, 2012 12:42 pm • link • report
I live near Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge and it's the biggest single level mall and still very popular. People come from Maryland other states to visit the mall. JC Penny just opened a newly remodeled store at this mall.
by Davin Peterson on Mar 27, 2012 12:43 pm • link • report
The shops at Union Station certainly aren't thriving by foot traffic at least, the shopping area is often empty. Wheaton has far more people than Union Station's shops do, although maybe this is including Union Station's food courts as the main factor? Some rationale behind the designations would be appreciated.
by arm on Mar 27, 2012 12:45 pm • link • report
by Rich on Mar 27, 2012 12:46 pm • link • report
by John King on Mar 27, 2012 12:47 pm • link • report
by Dave on Mar 27, 2012 12:48 pm • link • report
-The Pavilion at the Old Post Office
-The Shops at National Place
-Waterside Mall (the one in SW that Russell mentions)
by Frank IBC on Mar 27, 2012 12:58 pm • link • report
by Frank IBC on Mar 27, 2012 1:01 pm • link • report
(Oh, and if we're going to continue to split hairs, does Gallery Place count as a mall?)
by andrew on Mar 27, 2012 1:01 pm • link • report
by Cakes on Mar 27, 2012 1:02 pm • link • report
by Frank IBC on Mar 27, 2012 1:07 pm • link • report
Take also Seven Corners, which is 'demolished' when one could alternatively say it was also basically turned inside out with big box stores. Which you can call a strip mall I suppose, but the connotation is normally a lot different. In either case it is thriving.
Last, Skyline is indeed gone and now a target, but every other retail option in that area are sizeable one level strip malls with epically large parking lots. And is also thriving at least measured by the traffic jams on Leesburg Pike between the Alex City line and Seven Corners.
I also wonder if something will eventually be developed more central in both Loudoun and Howard counties and we're just seeing an evolutionary stage as closer in malls decline. But likely not, as I agree that the anchor for these were the major department stores, who are not expanding as much anymore. Though I could see Nordstrom wanting a full fledged store closer into a bunch of 100K households. (maybe Dulles is close enough)
by Kolohe on Mar 27, 2012 1:27 pm • link • report
It's interesting how most of the malls in the region that have been shuttered haven't been converted to "main street" or "lifestyle center" developments but, rather, office buildings or big-box stores.
In Denver, for instance, I think 6 of the area's 13 malls have been converted to lifestyle centers, like Belmar. Perhaps it's because of infill development in existing towns and urban neighborhoods, like downtown Silver Spring, Bethesda Row and Clarendon, which already served as the de facto social centers of the region. We didn't have to turn a mall inside out to make a downtown, because they already existed. Of course, further-out communities like White Flint and Springfield are tearing down their malls because they never had downtowns to begin with.
That said, I wish I'd gotten a chance to visit some of the region's now-dead malls, particularly the Rockville Mall. Whether or not you like them, malls are a significant part of our local and national history, and they're worth documenting for future generations. I hope someone's taking pictures of the big glass elevator at White Flint Mall.
by dan reed! on Mar 27, 2012 1:28 pm • link • report
Finally, Columbia Mall is going to be redeveloped at some point as part of the downtown Columbia plan, but that's a long, long way out.
by dan reed! on Mar 27, 2012 1:31 pm • link • report
by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 27, 2012 1:38 pm • link • report
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0zmjrupOR1r2cfoc.gif
by Jim on Mar 27, 2012 1:44 pm • link • report
I would not have thought of Union Station as an indoor mall, as it lacks big anchor stores, but as a train station with extensive retail outlets. But it is indoors and has Amtrak, DC Metro, and its location as anchors, so I can see categorizing it as a mall.
From the list, size does matter for an indoor mall to survive. I've noticed that elsewhere. Another aspect that should be included on the list of malls is DC Metro access. How many of the malls within the area covered by the Metro system that have easy Metro access are thriving versus those that do not? If Springfield Mall had been closer to the Metro station with direct pedestrian access, it likely would have been a thriving or surviving mall, not in long term decline. Pentagon City mall, on the other hand, must get a large piece of its traffic via the DC Metro.
Strictly my impression, but I don't know Dulles Town Center should be classified as thriving. I have never seen it that busy or the vast acres of parking lots more than half-full. Has a number of empty stores, although it does have all the anchor stores filled. I have no numbers, but it may be closer to surviving than thriving.
by AlanF on Mar 27, 2012 1:50 pm • link • report
@Davin Peterson: Springfield wasn't struggling as much as it has been poorly managed since the last expansion. People hoped that would change after the sale, but Vornado has dragged their feet with the property as they have in several other locations in the region. For years, leases were allowed to expire to make room for construction and they decided to keep stores from opening for the most part. A couple months ago, stores were told the entire mall would be closed by early Summer with the exception of the anchors (Macy's, Target, and JC Penny). The plan for more than 10 years (before that news a couple months ago) was to close half of the mall at a time. Now, they plan on closing the entire mall for two years.
by selxic on Mar 27, 2012 1:55 pm • link • report
Although it's a borderline case, I would also consider The Shops at Gallery Place. Several shops are reachable from street entrances only, but some of the shops are only reachable from the common area: Bar Louie, Lucky Strike, Thai Chili, Sushi Go Round, and Regal 14.
by tom veil on Mar 27, 2012 1:57 pm • link • report
Anecdotally, I can confirm this by the large numbers of package-laden passengers who board the Yellow Line at Pentagon City. Strictly anecdotal, however.
The Metro/non-Metro attribute hasn't gotten much of a review here, however, but Crystal City is Metro-friendly and it shows as being "surviving." Would like some more details on how that differs from "thriving." Crystal's issue is a large work-day draw that is largely absent in the evenings, and most of the Underground is food-based.
Can we get sectorwise sales for each of the malls?
by Jack Love on Mar 27, 2012 1:59 pm • link • report
Springfield Mall is still pretty close to the Metro. Yes, it could be closer, but I don't think that would make that much of a difference, especially since it's at the end of a line. Meanwhile, Fair Oaks Mall is doing well and is not close to the Metro. Springfield Mall's issues don't have much to do with lack of accessibility.
by Vik on Mar 27, 2012 2:10 pm • link • report
* Rhode Island Plaza
by davidj on Mar 27, 2012 2:13 pm • link • report
by Thad on Mar 27, 2012 2:18 pm • link • report
Also, this map could also, in the same fashion, show that the number of malls saturated very quickly and then new malls simply cannibalized old malls for the same retailers. Montgomery Mall cannibalized Lakeforest. Tyson's is Cannibalizing MM and others.
Other observations seem appropriate as well: if you aren't growing, you're dead (Tysons). If you don't invest in complimentary office space, your Mall is dead (Gaithersburg). There are a limited number of top shelf retailers in the industry, and in a recession, they'll reduce their footprint to the most profitable locations.
by YTB on Mar 27, 2012 2:20 pm • link • report
Keep the comments coming. I'll update the map in a few days.
"Thriving" vs "Surviving" is purely my own impression. It's not objective at all. Originally I was thinking of having a third category for malls that are still open but that have obviously precarious futures, such as Lakeforest. That was what the "surviving" category was going to be. But since it was subjective I decided against using it.
by BeyondDC on Mar 27, 2012 2:21 pm • link • report
by Frank IBC on Mar 27, 2012 2:38 pm • link • report
Ah, the old Beacon Mall. Yeah, it was partially demolished and redeveloped years ago. Used to get my jeans there, buy records (actual records) from the record store there, and, of course, catch movies at the movie theater there.
It was pretty small - a single corridor with a grocery store (Giant) anchoring one end and a Marshall's anchoring the other. I believe before the mall was built there, there may have been a small general aviation airfield there (which may or may not have been the source of the eponymous beacon), but that was before my time.
by EdTheRed on Mar 27, 2012 2:57 pm • link • report
@ Frank IBC - I'm not sure about the reason for correlation, but as a young professional I did a lot of my clothes shopping at Filene's Basement (RIP, I miss you), Marshall's, Burlington Coat Factory, etc. I imagine that Burlington is a destination for certain shoppers in and of itself, so their stores can better withstand a lack of enthusiasm for the stores/building surrounding them.
by grumpy on Mar 27, 2012 2:58 pm • link • report
But it used to be a 'real' mall with the usual suspect chain stores, a movie theater, and even a Safeway.
by Vicente Fox on Mar 27, 2012 3:35 pm • link • report
I would be interested in seeing notes in the mall list on ease of DC Metro access for the enclosed malls in the area covered by the Metro. Along with sheer size and location, I think Metro access is a factor in which ones in the denser parts of the region are thriving versus not.
As for defining what is an enclosed mall, it can't be just a food court or have news stands. It should have multiple retail stores for clothing & goods. It should have an anchor retail store, but for the purposes of comparison, Union Station should be included as it is a shopping destination.
On thriving versus surviving, without a major effort to get retail sale numbers which many of the mall operators will not provide, that is a judgment call. There could be a 3rd category of decline or barely hanging on which is easier to identify when you walk into the mall - multiple empty stores, an aura of poor maintenance. The malls that are now in the red closed or demolished category were, AFAIK, all in decline long before the 2008 crash. The owners of the mall will milk declining rent and income for as long as they can while letting maintenance and marketing go.
by AlanF on Mar 27, 2012 3:50 pm • link • report
@YTB "I think drawing a mall map after 4 years of the greatest economic depression since the Depression and drawing conclusions about the death of the industry is probably a bit shortsighted."
Perhaps, but this overlooks the relative success enjoyed by the open-air centers, such as Fairfax Town Center or Reston Town Center or any of the other local favorites. Retailers and restaurateurs especially are doing well here. Consider too neighborhoods like Dupont Circle, 14th Street, and U Street. No recession here!
Bottom line: the mall story is about more than macroeconomics, more than Metro, more than indoors vs. outdoors. I don't think we've nailed it yet.
by Jack Love on Mar 27, 2012 3:56 pm • link • report
Seven Corners was a bit of an oddball with two levels that didn't line up. There was only an escalator that connected the corridors (though there was another escalator in the five-and-dime - Woolworths, I think - and one in each achor). By the time it was torn down it felt rather cramped compared to newer malls.
by PeakVT on Mar 27, 2012 4:05 pm • link • report
by Patty B on Mar 27, 2012 4:10 pm • link • report
The pedestrian access is decent, in that there are timed crosswalks, so if you chose you can walk from the Metro to the Mall in relative safety. Although many people walk against the lights to shorten the time.
Far from optimal, but doable (and people do!). And probably as close as it could have been given the cost reductions of building the station along the existing train right-of-way
by Byron on Mar 27, 2012 4:30 pm • link • report
You must have gone on a really odd time if you do not think Fair Oaks Mall is thriving.
by vtnar1290 on Mar 27, 2012 4:34 pm • link • report
As much as I like the urban town square/center/pedestrian plaza type of shopping center, I really hope that some traditional, indoor malls will be able to survive. For one, big box department stores don't do as well in the former model. Also, while they may be ugly, indoor malls use retail space more efficiently and are still very much community hubs.
That said, I've been saying for a while that White Flint needed to be razed, its only draws being Cheesecake Factory and D&B (which should both survive after the demolition). Bloomingdale's move to Friendship Village was just the final nail in the coffin. Westfield Montgomery is doing great and shouldn't go anywhere, Westfield Wheaton could use a jolt of energy, which should be provided by the redevelopment.
City Place is simply a bad joke (even though its surrounded by new, vibrant development) and should be either be razed or drastically overhauled. Lakeforest (my closest mall) should not be redeveloped as its the closest mall for at least 300,000 people, is very busy, and has good anchors (JCP, Macy's, L&T, Sears).
Growing up in Mitchelville, I vaguely remember visiting Landover Mall to shop, take family photos at Sears, and see Santa. It was sad to see it go. (Sears actually hung around for a good while after the rest of the building was torn down around it before moving to Bowie). The Mall at Prince George's (aka PG Plaza) seems to be somewhat successful with all the new development surrounding it.
Regarding DC, I didn't even know Georgetown had a mall lol and I definitely wouldn't call Union Station "thriving" unless you're referring to foot traffic.
As for Virginia, Pentagon City is still great. Tysons Corner is an eyesore but still successful (and will soon be the only mall(s) for Fairfax's 1 million residents). Haven't been to Potomac Mills in a long time, but I've heard its declined a lot. Springfield Mall is a joke and should have been knocked down 3 years ago.
As a side note, I didn't realize Simon had sold Lakeforest already. Does anyone know who it was sold to?
by King Terrapin on Mar 27, 2012 4:35 pm • link • report
The Springfield metro was built mainly to serve people from the surrounding area get to their jobs closer to DC. While some people take the metro to the mall, most shoppers come to the mall from the areas w/o metro access and at the end of the line, it's not all that convenient or worthwhile for people farther away who'd be more open to taking metro.
A lot of people park their cars at Springfield Mall and walk to the Metro. And, there are shuttles that you can take to/from the Metro. It's a 10-15 minute walk from the Metro to the Mall. It's not great, but a lot of people do it, and the proximity of the mall to Metro is trivial IMO with respect to this story.
A lot of people actually incorrectly blame the proximity of Metro for why Springfield Mall is in the shape it's in.
The main reason why Springfield Mall has deteriorated is because the demographics in the immediate area have changed. It's not as wealthy and has more working class people and working class immigrants than before. Springfield Mall and Fair Oaks Mall used to be comparable, but the area around Fair Oaks Mall hasn't become more run down as a whole and there has been more middle and upper-middle class development in the past 10-15 years or so. Springfield Mall could have avoided this problem had they been able to secure some good tenants I think, but they didn't and ended up just getting squeezed out considering the other shopping destinations in the area.
by Vik on Mar 27, 2012 4:40 pm • link • report
by Lucre on Mar 27, 2012 4:41 pm • link • report
Potomac Mills has declined, but it staved off failure and has somewhat recovered.
Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax still does plenty of business as well.
by Vik on Mar 27, 2012 4:42 pm • link • report
Beacon Mall/Beacon Center: Sometime in the 1920s the government put a light tower on this hill that was a beacon for US Air Mail pilots, Airway Beacon No. 55, then an airport that was eventually called Beacon Field Airport was put there. I arrived in the area after the Mall was gone and replaced with the current Beacon Center. Pity there isn't a movie theater there anymore though.
by Another Josh on Mar 27, 2012 5:04 pm • link • report
by Eric Sibley on Mar 27, 2012 8:40 pm • link • report
The one thing that bothers me about town centers is the public restrooms or lack of them. In most town centers the only restrooms you find are in food establishments and many times it says customers only.
What determines between thriving and surviving; are we going by people, profits or stores ?
The times I have been to Montgomery, Wheaton and PG Plaza; Wheaton has had more people in it followed by PG Plaza and Montgomery.
by kk on Mar 27, 2012 9:35 pm • link • report
by Gus on Mar 27, 2012 10:08 pm • link • report
I buy much of, actually most of my clothes at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc. but none of those sprout like mushrooms on the dungheaps of dying malls, only Burlington Coat Factory.
http://deadmalls.com/features.html
Also, sad to see the role that racial fears has played in the demise of many malls.
by Frank IBC on Mar 28, 2012 12:36 am • link • report
by Terry K. on Mar 28, 2012 12:58 am • link • report
As far back as the mid-1970s, the Time Out video arcade (is it still there?) seemed to attract more people than all the other shops combined.
by c5karl on Mar 28, 2012 8:56 am • link • report
Springfield Mall actually used to get significant traffic from Metro users. Since it was a destination for those who used Metro, they were more likely to actually make purchases. It's not a bad walk from the Metro station to the mall (Vornado insists they will make improvements and have more frequent shuttles...). Of course the parking is free so it's popular for Metro parking too.
There actually hasn't been a significant change in demographics surrounding Springfield Mall during its decline. There were times when the ownership was trying to sell and didn't invest in the mall and other times when management was content with leases expiring for construction to begin. This has been stretched over a period of more than 10 years now. Unfortunately, many like to shift blame towards the people in and around the mall instead of looking at the mall itself. That has hurt the reputation of the mall and the area.
@King Terrapin: I would actually say Potomac Mills has turned around quite a bit in recent years. It's barely an "outlet" mall, but it is much nicer than what it was years ago and I would put it above the Westfields and especially Arrundel Mills.
I mentioned the theater in a comment a couple weeks ago, Another Josh, but it is worth mentioning it was a small discount theater. It was a cheap little place that would get movies that had been out for a while. I enjoyed going there every now and then.
by selxic on Mar 28, 2012 10:00 am • link • report
Springfield Mall in the 1990's was definitely thriving, at least as much as Fair Oaks Mall has been.
Macy's, Sears, JCPenney, and the movie theater were decent enough anchors to keep it doing well for a good number of years. But, I agree that there weren't enough high quality tenants in the 2000's for it to survive.
@selxic
There has been a change in the demographics in Springfield since the mid-late 90's or so to today. You can say that the people aren't responsible for the decline, which I happen to agree a lot with, but the demographics have changed. It's also not as safe as it used to be. A lot of people who used to go to Springfield Mall in the Springfield, Burke, and Fairfax Station areas opt to go to Fair Oaks in part due to some stores, but the retail experience at the two malls wasn't significantly different during part of Springfield's decline, whereas the area become a bit less safe. It's not just the Springfield Mall in this area of Springfield that has deteriorated. Management is definitely a big issue. Demographics and management are a lot bigger factors than Metro in this equation.
I don't know for sure what effect the growth of Kingstowne had on Springfield Mall's ability to thrive, but if all that development were closer to the mall the way it is near Potomac Mills, the Mall might have been able to survive as is.
by Vik on Mar 28, 2012 10:26 am • link • report
by selxic on Mar 28, 2012 10:46 am • link • report
That whole area needs help…
http://baltimoreinnerspace.blogspot.com/search/label/Owings%20Mills%20Metro%20Station
by Frank on Mar 28, 2012 11:31 am • link • report
http://www.deadmalls.com/
by Frank on Mar 28, 2012 11:37 am • link • report
by Frank IBC
Burlington Coat Factory is a harbinger of a dying mall. Seriously.
by Frank on Mar 28, 2012 11:47 am • link • report
by Jim T on Mar 28, 2012 12:58 pm • link • report
by EllenG on Mar 28, 2012 2:39 pm • link • report
by Darrick on Mar 28, 2012 5:29 pm • link • report
by andrew on Mar 28, 2012 8:36 pm • link • report
Francis Scott Key Mall
Frederick, Frederick County
status-thriving
Frederick Towne Mall
Frederick, Frederick County
status-surviving (barely, with Bon-Ton and Boscov's as anchors)
--
St. Charles Towne Center
Waldorf, Charles County
status-?
--
Harborplace
Baltimore
status-not really a mall since its small and lacks the typical acres of parking and large anchors, but thriving
Mondawmin Mall
Baltimore
status-surviving?
Reistertown Road Plaza
Baltimore
status-?
The Rotunda
Baltimore
status-in the process of being redeveloped
--
Arundel Mills
Hanover, Anne Arundel County
status-thriving
Marley Station
Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel
status-?
Westfield Annapolis (Annapolis Mall)
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County
status-thriving?
--
Hunt Valley Town Centre
Hunt Valley, Baltimore County
status-never did well, demolished in 2000 and converted into thriving town center
Owings Mills Mall
Owings Mills, Baltimore County
status-currently surviving; slated for demolition in 2013
Security Square Mall
Woodlawn, Baltimore County
status-?
The Shops at Keliworth
Towson, Baltimore County
status-thriving (according to the owners)
Towson Marketplace
Towson, Baltimore County
status-converted into big box stores
Towson Town Center
Towson, Baltimore County
status-?
White Marsh Mall
White Marsh, Baltimore County
status-?
--
TownMall of Westminster
Westminster, Carroll County
status-?
--
Harford Mall
Bel Air, Harford County
status-?
--
The Mall in Columbia (Columbia Mall)
Columbia, Howard County
status-thriving
by King Terrapin on Mar 29, 2012 1:02 am • link • report
Annapolis, Anne Arundel County
Status - never enclosed, but notable because it had Woodward & Lothrop as its anchor. It was mostly abandoned by 1999 and demolished in 2004. Annapolis Towne Centre was built in its place.
Eudowood Shopping Center
Towson, Baltimore County
Status - started as an open-air shopping center, was converted to an enclosed mall in the 1980s, was later replaced by an open-air shopping center, Towson Marketplace.
Golden Ring Mall
Eastern Baltimore County
status - demolished and replaced by open-air shopping center, "The Centre at Golden Ring".
Westview Mall
Catonsville, Baltimore County
status - started as an outdoor strip mall, later enclosed, indoor section demolished in 2002, replaced by big-box stores. The anchors stores, Hutlzers and Stewarts, now defunct, were also replaced by big-box stores.
If I were dictator, the words "Towne", "Centre", "Shoppingtowne", and "The Shoppes At..." would be banned.
by Frank IBC on Mar 29, 2012 6:22 am • link • report
by selxic on Mar 29, 2012 7:34 am • link • report
by Answer Guy on Mar 29, 2012 9:23 am • link • report
It's greed that has done it!
by Thomas Jay on Mar 29, 2012 9:33 am • link • report
by Anonymous on Mar 29, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report
- no new suburban regional shopping malls have opened in the US since 2006, years before the recession
- given the years of lead time necessary to build a mall, that implies that malls fell out of fashion at least a decade ago
- annual mall openings nationally fell by half after 1992, from 10+ a year to 5-6 a year, then dropping to 1-2 and finally zero
Given the number of malls that have closed, malls have been trending in reverse for almost 20 years now. They were sputtering in the mid/late 1990s, and over the 2000s I'd bet that many more have closed than opened. This isn't some short-lived, newfangled fad, this is a seriously big shift in how Americans shop (and, in a consumer society, live).
Retail was the first property sector to see a huge momentum shift away from Edge Cities. Now that momentum in the office and residential markets has shifted away from the suburbs, it's hard to argue that drivable suburbia is still what Americans demand.
by Payton on Mar 29, 2012 2:52 pm • link • report
by Payton on Mar 29, 2012 2:55 pm • link • report
if all of that was shifts to cities, or at least to "neo urban" suburban centers, I would agree - but a lot of the shift is to the internet, or to big box, or to surban lifestyle centers (which have SOME more urban/small town charecteristics, but are OFTEN much like outdoor malls, with the usual seas of parking) So Im not sure retail is really leading the shift away from edge city - if anything Id say in DC residential is (unless of course the indoor mall is considered definitional to edge city, which is a matter of debate, I guess)
by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 29, 2012 3:31 pm • link • report
by Steve on Mar 30, 2012 11:14 am • link • report
Very interesting and informative comment. I disagree slightly with this part of it though, particularly as it relates to DC:
"Retail was the first property sector to see a huge momentum shift away from Edge Cities. Now that momentum in the office and residential markets has shifted away from the suburbs, it's hard to argue that drivable suburbia is still what Americans demand."
If anything, the edge cities around DC are still growing along with DC. Yeah, outer suburbs are slowly, but surely starting to decline, but urban centers outside of DC like Silver Spring, Bethesda, Ballston/Rosslyn/Courthouse, White Flint/North Bethesda, Rockville, and soon Tysons Corner and Wheaton are rapidly growing with office and residential high rises (especially the latter in MD) shooting up rapidly around transit stations.
That said, NoMa in DC is probably growing faster than all of those areas, and some edge cities like Crystal City, have seen declines. Still I'll think edge cities will continue to be a draw for residents and offices who want to be near to, but not in DC for any number of reasons such as a better business environment in VA, no height limit on office buildings in MD/VA, etc.
by King Terrapin on Mar 30, 2012 3:24 pm • link • report
My mom buying me a seemingly unlimited supply of Carter's boys' underwear at the Lansburgh's going-out-of-business sale in the spring of 1973. The store had only opened a year and four months earlier, in February 1972.
And just 6-7 months later, my mom buying Christmas tree balls at Lit's, which had moved into the former Lansburgh's location but quickly failed, in December 1973.
by Frank IBC on Mar 30, 2012 5:50 pm • link • report
by Frank IBC on Mar 30, 2012 5:58 pm • link • report
For what it's worth, Giant was there by itself for about 15 years before the mall was built. Also, when the mall opened in 74, the original store at the south end was a Woolco. Marshalls opened later.
My favorite two places there were Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream and the movie theater. Used to sneak in and see the R-rated movies as a teenager, whoo-hoo :)
by James on Jul 20, 2012 11:34 am • link • report
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