Lakeforest Mall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lakeforest Mall

Lakeforest Mall's Center Court in 2010; the recessed carpeted area was removed in 2013.
Location	Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates	39°09′13″N 77°12′15″W / 39.153524°N 77.204221°W / 39.153524; -77.204221
Address	701 Russell Ave.
Opening date	September 12, 1978; 46 years ago (1978-09-12)
Developer	Taubman Centers
Management	Petrie Richardson Ventures
Owner	WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments
No. of stores and services	120+
No. of anchor tenants	4 (1 open, 3 vacant)
Total retail floor area	1,045,000 sq ft (97,100 m2)
No. of floors	2 (restricted "Penthouse" 3rd floor in former Lord & Taylor)
Public transit access	Ride On bus: 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 101

Lakeforest Mall, also known as Lakeforest, is a large indoor shopping center. You can find it in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It has two floors with over 120 stores and a food court where you can grab a bite.

For many years, it even had a fun play area for kids! Today, the main big store, called an "anchor store," is Macy's. There used to be three other big stores: JCPenney, Sears, and Lord & Taylor. These spots are now empty.

History of Lakeforest Mall

How Lakeforest Mall Started

Lakeforest Mall first opened its doors on September 12, 1978. When it was new, some of its main stores were JCPenney, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, and Hecht's.

It was quite special because it had an indoor ice skating rink! This rink was on the lower floor. Later, the ice rink was changed into a movie theater. After that, it became the food court you see today.

Changes in the 1990s

In 1995, the Woodward & Lothrop store at the mall closed down. It was replaced by a new store called Lord & Taylor. During the 1990s, Lakeforest Mall also had popular restaurants like Friendly's and Long John Silver's. These restaurants have since closed.

The Mall in the 2000s

A company called Taubman Centers first built and ran Lakeforest Mall. Then, in 2007, another company called Simon Property Group took over. They managed the mall for a few years.

Lakeforest Mall in the 2010s

In 2013, some big changes happened at the mall. The children's play area and a nearby fountain were removed. The space was then covered with new tiles.

In 2017, Lakeforest Mall was sold at an auction. A company called WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments bought the mall in 2019.

Over these years, several big stores at the mall closed.

• On July 5, 2019, the JCPenney store closed its doors.
• On September 15, 2019, the Lord & Taylor store also closed.
• Finally, on December 1, 2019, the Sears store closed.

This left Macy's as the only original anchor store still open at Lakeforest Mall.

Main Stores at Lakeforest Mall

Big stores in a mall are often called "anchor stores." They are usually the largest stores and help attract shoppers to the mall.

Current Main Store

• Macy's (This store has been open since 2006.)

Past Main Stores

These are the big stores that used to be at Lakeforest Mall:

• Hecht's (1978–2006)
• JCPenney (1978–2019)
• Lord & Taylor (1995–2019)
• Sears (1978–2019)
• Woodward & Lothrop (1978–1995)

Gallery

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  Lakeforest Mall being built in 1978

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  Workers finishing Lakeforest Mall in 1978

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  The grand opening ceremony in 1978. The sunken area in front is no longer there.

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  People celebrating the grand opening of the mall in 1978

Images for kids

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  Lakeforest Mall's Center Court in 2010; the recessed carpeted area was removed in 2013.

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  Each of the many entrances has a color, this is the yellow entrance