Westfield Montgomery Explained

Westfield Montgomery
Location:Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Address:7101 Democracy Boulevard
Developer:[1]
Manager:[2]
Owner:Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield SE
Number Of Stores:200[3]
Number Of Anchors:4
Floor Area:1223475square feet
Publictransit: Ride On bus: 6, 26, 42, 47, 96
Metrobus: J1, J2
Floors:3[4]

Westfield Montgomery (formerly, Montgomery Mall) is a shopping mall in Bethesda, Maryland. Major tenants include Macy's, Macy's Home, and Nordstrom, as well as specialty brands such as Fabletics, Madewell, Vineyard Vines, and Untuckit.

History

The mall opened in March 1968 with three anchor stores and 58 smaller shops. It was built as a joint venture between The May Department Stores Company and Strouse, Greenberg & Co., based on the design of John Graham, Jr. and Ward and Hall.[5] [6] The original anchors were Hecht's, Garfinckel's, and Sears. Smaller shops included a Bond Stores outlet. The old mall logo was an owl-shaped "M".[7]

A mid-1970s expansion added a, 155000square feet Woodward & Lothrop store and 60000square feet of additional retail space for 40 stores.[8] [9]

On March 1. 1976, longtime fugitive William Bradford Bishop bought a ball peen hammer and gas can at the mall to allegedly kill and burn his family.

A renovation completed in October 1991 replaced the floors, added brass railings and a glass elevator (the latter removed in 2013), and removed all the fountains to allow for more kiosk and seating space. The grand re-opening featured a concert by Tony Bennett. An expansion wing featured the first Nordstrom in Maryland[10] and the third in the Washington, D.C.. metropolitan area, and Crate & Barrel.

The Boulevard Cafes food court is located on the second level.

After the 2005 acquisition of May Department Stores by Federated Department Stores, the Hecht’s at Montgomery was renamed Macy’s in 2006.[11]

Expansion

A plan to expand the mall by 360000square feet was approved by Montgomery County in September 2007. With the expansion, Westfield Montgomery has more than 1500000square feet, the fourth-largest mall in the Washington area behind Tysons Corner Center, Westfield Wheaton, and Fair Oaks Mall.[12]

In 2014, a 16-screen Arclight Cinemas opened at the mall. It closed in April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[13] in February 2022, AMC Theatres acquired the lease to the cinema and announced that it would reopen the following month.[14]

2016 shooting

See main article: Eulalio Tordil shootings. On May 6, 2016, former federal police officer Eulalio Tordil shot three people in the parking lot. One victim died.[15] [16]

In June 2018, Westfield announced Sears would close and transform into additional stores and an open-air mixed-use center.[17] [18]

Anchors

Current anchors

Former anchors

External links

39.0243°N -77.1472°W

Notes and References

  1. Mall of the Future: As many malls around the country close, Westfield Montgomery is reinventing itself with an $89-million makeover.. Frey. David. September 15, 2014. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland. en-US. February 1, 2019. Owned in a joint venture of the May Department Store Co., based in St. Louis, and Strouse, Greenberg & Co., based in Philadelphia....
  2. Web site: Westfield History. Westfield.URW.com. en. February 1, 2019. In June 2018, Unibail-Rodamco merged with Westfield Corporation in the biggest M&A transaction in Australian corporate history..
  3. Web site: Westfield Montgomery. Westfield Group. February 2, 2011. en-US.
  4. Web site: Westfield Montgomery – Center Map. Westfield.com/Montgomery. en-US. February 1, 2019. Nordstrom Level 3..
  5. Web site: Westfield Montgomery Shopping Mall History - Westfield Montgomery. Westfield.com. April 21, 2009. January 31, 2011. en. https://archive.today/20100916234940/http://westfield.com/montgomery/centre-information/history/. 16 September 2010.
  6. Web site: Mall Hall of Fame. Mall-Hall-of-Fame.Blogspot.com. January 31, 2011. en-US.
  7. Web site: DC Grocery - Montgomery Mall . https://archive.today/20120707080504/http://dcgrocery.multiply.com/journal/item/357/Montgomery_Mall . 7 July 2012 . January 31, 2011 . Dcgrocery.Multiply.com . en.
  8. "Montgomery Mall Expansion Planned for Fall 1973 Opening," The Washington Post, May 2, 1971, p. 149.
  9. "Store in Montgomery Mall Jammed on Opening Day," The Washington Post, Mar 26, 1976, p. D10.
  10. News: Annapolis Nordstrom in '93 unlikely. The Baltimore Sun. July 1, 1992. January 31, 2011. en-US. https://archive.today/20120707003807/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-07-01/business/1992183197_1_nordstrom-annapolis-maryland-store. 7 July 2012.
  11. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2006/09/09/era-ends-with-new-beginning-span-classbankheadtransformation-from-hechts-to-macys-will-be-completed-todayspan/da6eeecc-53e4-45ed-b97b-45ea7f1357ff/ Washington Post, September 9, 2006
  12. News: Killian. Eric. Montgomery Planning board approves expansion of Westfield shopping mall. Washington Business Journal. September 21, 2007. en-US.
  13. Web site: ArcLight Cinemas will not reopen at Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda. Bethesda Magazine. 13 April 2021.
  14. Web site: Goldsmith. Jill. 2022-02-08. AMC Entertainment In Lease Deals For Former ArcLight Theaters In San Diego, D.C. Markets. 2022-02-08. Deadline. en-US.
  15. News: UPDATED: Police Monitored Shooting Suspect As He Ate Lunch in Aspen Hill Shopping Center. 2017-08-10. en.
  16. Westfield Montgomery Mall Shooter Expected To Plead Guilty: Eulalio Tordil is charged with killing two and injuring two others in Montgomery County. Zimmerman. Joe. April 20, 2017. Bethesda Magazine. Bethesda, Maryland. February 1, 2019. en-US.
  17. Web site: 22 June 2018 . Sears in Westfield Montgomery Mall set to close next year .
  18. Web site: 8 November 2018 . Sears to shut 40 more stores early next year . CNBC.
  19. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1999/03/21/at-jc-penney-missing-masses/c6c8c9e9-4275-442d-b7b7-158512419c27/ Washington Post, March 21, 1999

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