Rockville Town Center

Last updated
Rockville Town Center
Rockville Town Square Entrance.jpg
Rockville Town Center
Location Rockville, Maryland, United States
Coordinates 39°5′7″N77°9′3″W / 39.08528°N 77.15083°W / 39.08528; -77.15083
Opening date1995
Website www.rockvillemd.gov/towncenter

Rockville Town Center is a town center in Rockville, Maryland. Opened in 1995, it replaced the demolished Rockville Mall. [1]

Contents

History

360 panorama of Rockville Town Center Rockville-town-square-panorama-20160715.jpg
360 panorama of Rockville Town Center

In 1962, Rockville became the first small city in Maryland to undertake a federal urban renewal program. Forty-six acres in the town center were bought; old and new buildings were demolished, and street patterns were changed. In their place rose the residential Americana Centre, more county buildings, high-rise offices, and a large shopping mall with 1,560 spaces of underground parking. [2] A decade after the project began, the 500,000-square-foot (46,000 m2), 40 shop Rockville Mall opened in 1972, on 13 acres (53,000 m2).

Although designed originally to have Sears and JC Penney as the two anchors, no second lease was ever signed. The sole anchor at opening was a branch of the Washington, D.C.–based Lansburgh's department store chain. Within a year, Lansburgh's closed and was replaced briefly with a branch of Lit Brothers, followed by a W. & J. Sloane furniture clearance center and Franklin Simon & Co. store. [3] Those stores closed with the bankruptcy of City Stores in 1979.

The mall was renamed in 1978 as the Commons at Courthouse Square and by 1981, 35 of the 55 store fronts were vacant. [4] That year, despite the opening of the adjacent Montgomery County Executive Office Building, tenancy eventually dwindled to a handful, the property's New York–based owner, Rockville Development Associates, went bankrupt, and the mall was closed. [5]

In 1983, Eisinger-Kilbane of Gaithersburg, Maryland, spent $50 million attempting to redevelop it as a more entertainment-oriented facility. It was reopened as Rockville Metro Center, reflecting the connection at its east end to the newly opened Rockville Metro station across Maryland Route 355. This renovation brought in the late 1980s a large United Artists theater complex and "Breakers," a billiards parlor. Though these businesses, at the east end of the mall closest to the Metro station, attracted some traffic, the remainder of the mall lacked attractive tenants and therefore remained largely vacant.

Rockville Mayor and later Montgomery County executive Doug Duncan launched a massive campaign against the mall, known locally as the "Berlin Wall", in 1993, arguing that the large, scarcely occupied facility was a millstone holding back downtown development and limiting the city's property tax intake. His argument struck a chord with the majority in Rockville, and the west end of the mall was finally torn down in 1995 (the portion connected to the Metro station still exists as an office/health care/fitness center complex that is not recognizable as having once been part of a mall). By 1996, a park was constructed on the site around the old courthouse building and the movie complex. New York–based Essex Capital Partners purchased the mall from Marine Midland Bank in 1998. Later that year, they opened the first phase of the $300 million Rockville Center project, which included renovated and expanded theaters and a "restaurant row." [6]

Starting in 2004, redevelopment continued with the 60-acre (240,000 m2)Rockville Town Center project. The $370 million mixed use center, is a public / private venture and includes the Rockville Branch of the Montgomery County Library; Rockville Arts and Innovation Center; ground-level retail, restaurants, shops, food stores; public parking garages; and about 680 units of residential housing in a pedestrian friendly setting. [7] [8]

On July 17, 2007, the 12-acre (49,000 m2) Rockville Town Square (Phase I of the Rockville Town Center project) opened with 27 shops and restaurants, including a Gordon Biersch brewery , Gifford's Ice Cream and an Aveda day spa which have all been closed. [9] In September 2007, the 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2) nonprofit Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts (VisArts), a former Rockville Mall tenant, opened its doors as a center for classes, galleries and programs. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockville, Maryland</span> City in Maryland, United States

Rockville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fourth-largest incorporated city in Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tysons Corner Center</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Tysons Corner Center is a shopping mall in the unincorporated area of Tysons in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping malls in the Washington metropolitan area. The mall's anchor department stores are Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's. The mall also features prominent specialty retailers including Everlane, Fabletics, Untuckit, Oak + Fort, Intimissimi, Aesop, and Warby Parker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion Centre at Pentagon City</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, originally the Pentagon City Mall, is an enclosed shopping mall in the Pentagon City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, near Interstate 395 and Hayes Street. Its Metro level is directly connected to the Pentagon City station on the Blue and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. The mall features Macy's and Nordstrom, and also houses the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirlington, Virginia</span> Human settlement in Arlington County, Virginia, United States of America

Shirlington is an unincorporated urban area, officially called an "urban village", in the southern part of Arlington County, Virginia, United States, adjacent to the Fairlington area. The word "Shirlington" is a combination of "Shirley" and "Arlington".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friendship Heights</span> Neighborhood in Ward 3, United States

Friendship Heights is an urban commercial and residential neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., and southern Montgomery County, Maryland. Though its borders are not clearly defined, Friendship Heights consists roughly of the neighborhoods and commercial areas around Wisconsin Avenue north of Fessenden Street NW and Tenleytown to Somerset Terrace and Willard Avenue in Maryland, and from River Road in the west to Reno Road and 41st Street in the east. Within Maryland west of Wisconsin Avenue is the Village of Friendship Heights, technically a special taxation district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Amo Fashion Center</span> Shopping mall in Southern California

Del Amo Fashion Center is a three-level regional shopping mall in Torrance, California, United States. It is currently managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Quarter</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States

Penn Quarter is a historic neighborhood of Downtown Washington, D.C., located north of Pennsylvania Avenue, in Northwest D.C. Penn Quarter is roughly equivalent to the city's early downtown core near Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street NW, Penn Quarter is an entertainment and commercial hub, home to many museums, theaters, cinemas, restaurants, bars, art galleries and retail shops. Landmarks include the Capital One Arena, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Harman Center for the Arts, among others. The area is also home to a popular farmers market and several food, wine, art, and culture focused festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmoreland Mall</span> Shopping mall in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Westmoreland Mall is a two-level, enclosed super-regional shopping and casino complex in the municipality of Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, and owned and operated by CBL Properties. It was completed in 1977 and was extensively renovated and expanded in 1993–1994. The mall features retailers JCPenney, Macy's, and Macy's Home, in addition to Live! Casino Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shops at South Town</span> Shopping mall in Utah, United States

The Shops at South Town, formerly South Towne Center, is a regional mid-scale shopping mall in Sandy, Utah, United States, located just east of Interstate 15 on State Street. The property, built in 1986, contains 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2) of retail space with 150 stores and restaurants. The mall currently houses multiple national retailers such as H&M, BoxLunch, Victoria's Secret, Hot Topic, Buckle, Lululemon and many more. It has 4 anchor spaces with a plot for fifth that has never been built. The anchor stores are Round 1 Entertainment, HomeGoods, and JCPenney. There is a vacant anchor store that was Forever 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro North Mall</span> Shopping mall in Missouri, United States

Metro North Mall was a 1,300,000 sq ft (120,000 m2) mall located at 400 NW Barry Road, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Flint Mall</span> Former shopping mall in Montgomery County, Maryland

White Flint Mall was a shopping mall, located along Rockville Pike, in Montgomery County, Maryland, that closed in early 2015 and demolished thereafter. Its former anchors were Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Dave & Buster's, H&M, Loews Theatre and Borders Books and Music, the last four of which acted as junior anchors for the mall. Lord & Taylor, the mall's final anchor, operated until 2020, five years after the mall's initial closure and demolition.

Laurel Mall was a shopping mall located on the west side of U.S. Route 1 in Laurel, Maryland. The mall opened on October 11, 1979 and connected two pre-existing structures – the freestanding Montgomery Ward on its south side and Laurel Shopping Center to the north. The mall closed permanently on May 1, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westfield Wheaton</span> Shopping mall in Maryland, United States

Westfield Wheaton, formerly known as Wheaton Plaza, is a 1.7 million square-foot, two-level indoor shopping mall in Wheaton, Maryland, north of Washington, D.C. It is owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Its anchor stores include Macy’s, Target, JCPenney, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Costco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazza Gallerie</span> Shopping mall in D.C., United States

Mazza Gallerie was an upscale shopping mall which was demolished in 2023 and is currently being rebuilt as a mixed-use development It is located along Connecticut Avenue in the Friendship Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C. at the Maryland border. Opened in 1977, it had 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of retail space on three levels, a parking garage, and a direct connection to the Friendship Heights station of the Washington Metro. The last retail business closed in December 2022. The building is to be converted to residential apartments with retail on the ground floor.

The Centre at Salisbury is an 862,000-square-foot (80,082 m2) super regional mall in Salisbury, Maryland. The mall is the only regional shopping mall in a 60-mile (97 km) radius. The mall's anchor stores include Boscov's, Burlington, and Dick's Sporting Goods. It also features a 16 screen cinema stadium-style Regal Cinemas movie theater. The Centre at Salisbury is the largest shopping mall on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shops at Iverson</span> Shopping mall in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland

The Shops at Iverson is a shopping mall located at the intersection of Branch Avenue and Iverson Street, in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, just north of the Marlow Heights Shopping Center. Originally named Iverson Mall, it was the first shopping mall in the Washington, D.C., area to be built fully enclosed and climate controlled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansburgh's</span>

Lansburgh's was a chain of department stores located in the Washington, D.C. area. The clientele were middle-income consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Corners Shopping Center</span>

Seven Corners Shopping Center was the first major shopping center to open in suburban Washington, D.C. It is located in Seven Corners, Fairfax County, Virginia. At its opening in 1956, it was the largest regional shopping center in Virginia. The backsplit two-story mall structure was razed in the mid-1990s and replaced with a dual ground level power center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Village at Shirlington</span> Shopping mall in Arlington, Virginia

The Village at Shirlington opened as Shirlington Shopping Center in 1944, and was the first large shopping center to open in the Washington, D.C. suburbs and one of the earliest in the United States. It is located along Campbell Avenue at the intersection of Shirley Highway and Quaker Lane / Shirlington Road in Arlington, Virginia. The center has been known since the mid-1980s as The Village at Shirlington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shops at National Place</span> Shopping mall in Washington, DC

The Shops at National Place was a three-level, indoor shopping mall located in downtown Washington, D.C. in the 16-story National Place Building. It is located on the block bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue, F Street, between 13th and 14th Streets NW, the former site of the Munsey Trust Building. It was located near the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro system.

References

  1. "DESTINATION: TOWN CENTER - The Washington Post". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  2. Peerless Rockville website, article Rockville Town Center, March 2000.
  3. "Rockville Mall Struggles On," by Claudia Levy, The Washington Post, May 5, 1974, p. G1.
  4. "Rockville's Moribund Mall," by Claudia Levy, The Washington Post, Jun 4, 1981, p. MD4.
  5. "Rockville's New Hope Ready for Occupancy," by John Burgess, The Washington Post, May 22, 1981, p. B1.
  6. "Rockville site: new lease on life?," by Jonah Keri, Washington Business Journal, Aug 28, 1998.
  7. "On the Record with Larry Giammo, mayor of Rockville," by Robyn Lamb, The (Baltimore) Daily Record, Feb 6, 2004 (retrieved Sep 6, 2008).
  8. City of Rockville, Maryland - News Release, "Rockville Town Center Groundbreaking Set For Tuesday, June 15, (2004) at 9:30 a.m." (retrieved Sep 6, 2008).
  9. "Rockville Celebrates Opening Of Square," by Katherine Shaver, The Washington Post, Jul 18, 2007, p. B01.
  10. "Arts Center Creates New Cultural Hub In Rockville," by Mariana Minaya, The Washington Post, Aug 9, 2007, p. GZ03.