Landmark Mall facts for kids
The Landmark Mall was a big shopping center in Alexandria, Virginia. It was located near Duke Street, I-395, and Van Dorn Street. The mall opened in 1965 and closed its doors on January 31, 2017. It used to have large department stores like Sears, Lord & Taylor, and Macy's.
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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 |
| 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 |
Contents
History of Landmark Mall
Early Days and Growth
The Landmark Mall first opened on August 4, 1965. Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Mills E. Godwin, Jr., helped celebrate its opening. It was special because it was the first mall in the Washington D.C. area to have three main department stores. These stores were Hecht's (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. The mall was originally an outdoor shopping center. It was later covered and became an enclosed mall in 1990.
Changes and Plans for the Future
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 did not happen.
A new owner, Howard Hughes Corporation, took over the mall in 2009. Around the same time, one of the main stores, Lord & Taylor, announced it would be closing.
In 2013, the Howard Hughes Corporation shared new plans. They wanted to turn the mall into an "urban town." This meant it would become an outdoor area with shops and homes. The city council of Alexandria approved these plans in June 2013.
Mall Closure and Redevelopment
On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced that 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 plan for Landmark Mall was to create a mixed-use "urban village." This means it would have modern shops, restaurants, and new homes. It would also have updated parking. The new Landmark was designed to be a place where people could walk around easily. It would feature plazas, green spaces, outdoor seating, and public art. There would also be many places to eat and a 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 temporary homeless shelter. In November 2018, it was announced that Howard Hughes would work with Seritage Growth Properties. Seritage owned the Sears site, and together they planned to redevelop the entire 51-acre property.
In June and July 2018, parts of the 2020 movie Wonder Woman 1984 were filmed at the mall.
By early 2020, plans for tearing down the mall and rebuilding were still being worked on. On July 1, 2020, it was announced that Sears would also close. This meant the entire mall would be empty.
On December 22, 2020, a big announcement was made. The area would be redeveloped into a new mixed-use area with a new Inova Alexandria Hospital. The hospital is expected to start moving in 2025.
Main Stores (Anchors)
- Woodward & Lothrop: This store later became J. C. Penney, and then Lord & Taylor. It closed in 2009.
- Hecht's: This store was bought 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 in 2021
