Landmark Mall facts for kids
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Mall interior, 2015
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| Location | Alexandria, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 38°48′58.3″N 77°7′54.1″W / 38.816194°N 77.131694°W |
| Address | Duke St., I-395 and Van Dorn St. |
| Opening date | August 4, 1965 (Enclosed in 1990) |
| Closing date | January 31, 2017 |
| Previous names | Landmark Center |
| Owner | Howard Hughes Corporation |
| No. of stores and services | 0 (125 at peak) |
| No. of anchor tenants | 0 (3 at peak) |
| Total retail floor area | 675,000 square feet (62,700 m2) |
| No. of floors | 3 |
| Public transit access | Landmark Mall Rdwy & Mall Entrance  [[|30]] [[|32]] [[|35]] [[|A25]] [[|A27]] [[|F23]] [[|F24]] |
Landmark Mall was a large shopping center in Alexandria, Virginia. It was also known as Landmark Regional Shopping Center. The mall was located near Duke Street, Interstate 395, and Van Dorn Street. It first opened in 1965 as Landmark Center. The mall closed its doors in 2017 and was completely taken down in 2022. It used to have three main department stores: Sears, Lord & Taylor, and Macy's.
Contents
History of Landmark Mall
The Landmark Mall officially opened on August 4, 1965. Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Mills E. Godwin, Jr., helped celebrate the opening. It was the first mall in the Washington D.C. area to have three major department stores. These stores were The Hecht Co. (which later became Macy's), Sears, and Woodward & Lothrop (which later became JCPenney, then Lord & Taylor).
When it first opened, the mall had 32 stores. Some of these included Bond Clothes, Casual Corner, People's Drug Store, and Waldenbooks. There was also a popular restaurant called S&W Cafeteria.
Changes Over Time
Originally, Landmark Mall was an outdoor shopping center. Shoppers walked outside between stores. In 1990, the mall was enclosed. This meant a roof was added, making it an indoor mall.
In 2006, the company that owned the mall, General Growth Properties, wanted to change it. They planned to make it an open-air "town center." However, these plans never happened.
New Owners and New Plans
The Howard Hughes Corporation became the new owner of the mall in 2009. Around the same time, Lord & Taylor announced that its store at the mall would close.
In 2013, the Howard Hughes Corporation shared new plans. They wanted to turn the mall into an "urban village." This new design would feature outdoor shops, restaurants, and homes. The Alexandria City Council approved these plans in June 2013.
Mall Closure and Redevelopment
On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced its store at Landmark Mall would close. Soon after, the mall owners told other stores to leave by January 31. This was because the big redevelopment project was about to start.
The new Landmark area was planned to be a walkable community. It would have modern shops, restaurants, and new homes. There would also be open spaces, outdoor seating, and public art. Plans included full-service and fast-casual dining, plus a 10-screen movie theater. The Howard Hughes Corporation bought the Macy's site in 2017.
In June 2018, the empty Macy's store was used as a homeless shelter for a while. In November 2018, Howard Hughes Corporation teamed up with Seritage Growth Properties. Seritage owned the Sears site. Together, they planned to redevelop the entire 51-acre property.
Filming Location and Final Closure
The 2020 movie Wonder Woman 1984 filmed some scenes at the mall in 2018. For the movie, the mall was called "Southfields Mall." It was decorated to look like a 1980s shopping center.
By early 2020, plans for tearing down and rebuilding the mall were still being worked out. On July 1, 2020, it was announced that Sears would also close. This meant the entire mall would be empty.
On December 22, 2020, big news came out. The area would become a new mixed-use development. This would include a new Inova Alexandria Hospital. The hospital was expected to move there starting in 2025.
WestEnd Alexandria Project
On July 6, 2021, the Alexandria City Council approved the redevelopment plans. This project would create about four million square feet of new buildings. The main part of the project is the new Inova Alexandria Hospital. It will bring over 2,000 healthcare workers to the area. The city also approved using public money to buy the land for the hospital. They also approved money for preparing the site and building new roads. On January 24, 2022, the project was renamed WestEnd Alexandria.
Demolition of the mall began on May 12, 2022. It took six months to tear down the buildings. The parking garage was kept. On September 5, 2023, new plans for the area were approved. These plans include new shops, restaurants, walking trails, and fun places. There will be a skating rink and pickleball courts.
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Main Stores (Anchors)
- Woodward & Lothrop (This store later became J. C. Penney, then Lord & Taylor; it closed in 2009)
- Hecht's (This store was bought by and renamed Macy's in 2006; it closed in 2017)
- Sears (This store closed in 2020)
Images for kids
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Landmark Mall is still undergoing demolition.
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Landmark Mall's Macy's, 2020
