Annapolis Mall
Encyclopedia
Annapolis Mall, officially known as Westfield Annapolis, is a shopping mall
owned by the Westfield Group that is located near the junction of U.S. Route 50
and Interstate 97
in Annapolis, Maryland
. Its major stores include Borders Books and Music (formerly Garfinckel's
), Macy's
(formerly Hecht's
), Lord & Taylor
, Nordstrom
, Sears
(formerly Montgomery Ward
), JCPenney, and Bow Tie Cinema (formerly Crown Theatres).
In November 2007, the mall completed an expansion of over 240000 square feet (22,296.7 m²) that includes more than 60 additional stores.
, Garfinckel's
, and Montgomery Ward
. JCPenney joined the mall a few years later followed by Nordstrom
in March 1994 and Lord & Taylor
in 1998. After Montgomery Ward went bankrupt and closed in 1999, its location was eventually acquired by Sears, which moved from nearby Parole Plaza in 2002. As the result of a merger in 2006, Hecht's was re-equipped and absorbed into the larger Macy's
chain.
In 1992, the original developer May Centers, Inc., was renamed CenterMark Properties and sold by May Department Stores
in 1994 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., a predecessor of Westfield Group. Westfield bought its partnership in CenterMark in 1995 and gained full ownership of the mall in 1997. In 1998 the center was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Annapolis", the unwieldy "Shoppingtown" name being dropped in 2005. Despite the name changes, the mall remains most commonly known as the Annapolis Mall.
The original mall contained fountains in the Ward's, JCPenney and center courts which were all removed in 1994. A new fountain was added to the Nordstrom wing during the first expansion, an art installation titled "Sojourner II" designed by D.C. artist Larry Kirkland. A second fountain was added to the center court in the second expansion, along with a kid's play area near JCPenney. There are two mall entrances to Macy's and three to Lord & Taylor. One must walk through Lord & Taylor to get from the "east wing" to the "west wing", which also has entrances to levels P2-3 via elevators, escalators (to P2 only), and stairs (P2-P3).
The site was at one time the location of the Annapolis terminus of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway
, and was known as the "Best Gate" station, which had three single-ended and four double-ended sidings, where rail cars could be shunted on or off of the single-track WB&A east-west railway which ran to the north-south Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and Pennsylvania Railroad
lines. This "Best Gate" station gave the name to the nearby Bestgate Road, which today runs along the northern perimeter of the mall.
agent was at the mall when he witnessed a fight in progress in the food court. During the attempt to break up the fight, one of the combatants pulled a gun and fired at the agent, wounding him. The agent returned fire, hitting the shooter twice. A third person was wounded in the altercation. A Midshipman from the U.S. Naval Academy ran toward the sound of gunshots and provided first-aid for the Secret Service agent. That Midshipman later received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. The mall was closed shortly after the incident, with all patrons asked to leave over the public address system.
100,000,000 and was completed on November 1, 2007. New stores include Best Buy Mobile, Pottery Barn
, H&M
, Lucky Brand Jeans
, Ruehl No.925 (closed January 2010), Martin + Osa
(closed summer 2010), Sephora
, aerie, PINK, Ann Taylor Loft, ESPRIT
(closed 2011), GUESS?, Metropark USA (closed August 2009), Under Armour
, Quiksilver
, Skechers
, Vans
, Levi's, Fossil
, Solstice
, Garage
, The Buckle
, American Apparel
, Dockers
(closed March 2010), Downtown Locker Room, Hanna Andersson, Pumpkin Patch, Lush, Cheesecake Factory, Swarovski
, the LEGO
Store, Adidas
, Sony Style (closed 2011), Swim N'Sport, Tilly's, Austin Grill, Punk's Backyard Grill
, Potbelly Sandwich Works
, Stoney River Legendary Steaks
, Crate & Barrel, Eddie Bauer
, The Disney Store, Francesca's Collections, White House Black Market
, Nando's Peri-Peri
, and Crazy 8. The Under Armour
store is the company's first full-line retail store in the country. Punk's Backyard Grill is a locally based, independent restaurant; the Annapolis Mall location is the company's first.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
owned by the Westfield Group that is located near the junction of U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 in Maryland
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Maryland, US 50 exists in two sections. The longer of these serves as a major route connecting...
and Interstate 97
Interstate 97
Interstate 97 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It runs from Annapolis at the overlapped section of US 50, US 301, and the unsigned I-595 to Baltimore at the city's beltway...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. Its major stores include Borders Books and Music (formerly Garfinckel's
Garfinckel's
Garfinckel's was a prominent department store chain based in Washington, D.C., that catered to a clientele of wealthy consumers. It declared Chapter 11, in June 1990, and ceased operations in 1990.-History:...
), Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(formerly Hecht's
Hecht's
Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
), Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
, Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
(formerly Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
), JCPenney, and Bow Tie Cinema (formerly Crown Theatres).
In November 2007, the mall completed an expansion of over 240000 square feet (22,296.7 m²) that includes more than 60 additional stores.
History
Originally opened in 1980 by developer May Centers, Inc., the Annapolis Mall was, at that time, anchored by Hecht'sHecht's
Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
, Garfinckel's
Garfinckel's
Garfinckel's was a prominent department store chain based in Washington, D.C., that catered to a clientele of wealthy consumers. It declared Chapter 11, in June 1990, and ceased operations in 1990.-History:...
, and Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
. JCPenney joined the mall a few years later followed by Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
in March 1994 and Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
in 1998. After Montgomery Ward went bankrupt and closed in 1999, its location was eventually acquired by Sears, which moved from nearby Parole Plaza in 2002. As the result of a merger in 2006, Hecht's was re-equipped and absorbed into the larger Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
chain.
In 1992, the original developer May Centers, Inc., was renamed CenterMark Properties and sold by May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
in 1994 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., a predecessor of Westfield Group. Westfield bought its partnership in CenterMark in 1995 and gained full ownership of the mall in 1997. In 1998 the center was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Annapolis", the unwieldy "Shoppingtown" name being dropped in 2005. Despite the name changes, the mall remains most commonly known as the Annapolis Mall.
The original mall contained fountains in the Ward's, JCPenney and center courts which were all removed in 1994. A new fountain was added to the Nordstrom wing during the first expansion, an art installation titled "Sojourner II" designed by D.C. artist Larry Kirkland. A second fountain was added to the center court in the second expansion, along with a kid's play area near JCPenney. There are two mall entrances to Macy's and three to Lord & Taylor. One must walk through Lord & Taylor to get from the "east wing" to the "west wing", which also has entrances to levels P2-3 via elevators, escalators (to P2 only), and stairs (P2-P3).
The site was at one time the location of the Annapolis terminus of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway
The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway , now defunct, was an American railroad of central Maryland and Washington, DC built in the 19th and 20th century. The WB&A absorbed two older railroads, the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad and the Baltimore & Annapolis Short Line, and...
, and was known as the "Best Gate" station, which had three single-ended and four double-ended sidings, where rail cars could be shunted on or off of the single-track WB&A east-west railway which ran to the north-south Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
and Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
lines. This "Best Gate" station gave the name to the nearby Bestgate Road, which today runs along the northern perimeter of the mall.
2006 shooting
On Saturday, November 18, 2006, an off duty United States Secret ServiceUnited States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent was at the mall when he witnessed a fight in progress in the food court. During the attempt to break up the fight, one of the combatants pulled a gun and fired at the agent, wounding him. The agent returned fire, hitting the shooter twice. A third person was wounded in the altercation. A Midshipman from the U.S. Naval Academy ran toward the sound of gunshots and provided first-aid for the Secret Service agent. That Midshipman later received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. The mall was closed shortly after the incident, with all patrons asked to leave over the public address system.
2007 expansion
After several attempts, Westfield reached agreement in 2006 with local planning authorities to reconfigure the center and expand it by over 240000 square feet (22,296.7 m²). The total project cost was projected to be over $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100,000,000 and was completed on November 1, 2007. New stores include Best Buy Mobile, Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn is an American-based home furnishing store chain with retail stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Since September 1986, when it was purchased from GAP, Inc, Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, Lucky Brand Jeans
Lucky Brand Jeans
Lucky Brand Jeans is a designer denim company founded in Vernon, California, United States in 1990 by Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman. Lucky Brand is a subsidiary of the Liz Claiborne fashion company. Lucky also produces sportswear, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear. Lucky Brand products are...
, Ruehl No.925 (closed January 2010), Martin + Osa
Martin + Osa
Martin + Osa was a brand concept developed by American Eagle Outfitters. The store's name and inspiration came from Martin and Osa Johnson, a husband and wife team who explored Africa and the South Pacific Islands, chronicling their travels in photographs and diaries.Martin + Osa targeted 21- to...
(closed summer 2010), Sephora
Sephora
Sephora is a chain of cosmetics stores founded in France in 1970 and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate LVMH in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 17 countries...
, aerie, PINK, Ann Taylor Loft, ESPRIT
Esprit Holdings
Esprit Holdings Limited is a publicly owned manufacturer of apparel, footwear, accessories, jewellery and housewares under the Esprit label. The company is headquartered in Kowloon, Hong Kong, and Ratingen , Germany. In the 2007–2008 business year, Esprit Holdings Limited generated a worldwide...
(closed 2011), GUESS?, Metropark USA (closed August 2009), Under Armour
Under Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
, Quiksilver
Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. , is an American company based in Huntington Beach, California, one of the world's largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment...
, Skechers
Skechers
Skechers is an American shoe company headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, founded by CEO Robert Greenberg. Greenberg started Skechers in 1992 after he left LA Gear which he also founded. Skechers was started with his son as a distributor for Doc Martens; they launched their own shoe line...
, Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
, Levi's, Fossil
Fossil, Inc.
Fossil, Inc. is a designer and manufacturer of clothing and accessories, primarily watches and jewelry, but also sunglasses, wallets, handbags, belts, shoes and clothing, based in Richardson, Texas, United States...
, Solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
, Garage
Garage (clothing)
Garage is a clothing store, primarily targeting the teenage girl demographic. Founded in 1975 as a subsidiary of Groupe Dynamite, Inc., Garage currently has locations in Canada, the United States and Dubai.-History:*1975 – Opening of the first Garage store....
, The Buckle
The Buckle
The Buckle, Inc. is an upscale retailer selling apparel, footwear, and accessories for fashion-conscious young men and women.-History:Buckle began as a men's clothing store in 1948 in Kearney, Nebraska. The first store was founded by David Hirschfeld and operated under the name "Mills Clothing"....
, American Apparel
American Apparel
American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer in the United States. It is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer that also performs its own design, advertising, and marketing...
, Dockers
Dockers
Dockers is a brand of khaki garments from Levi Strauss & Co.Levi Strauss & Co., then specialized in denim, introduced the Dockers brand in 1986. Dockers became a leading brand of business casual clothing for men led by Bob Siegel. In 1987, Dockers introduced a women's line...
(closed March 2010), Downtown Locker Room, Hanna Andersson, Pumpkin Patch, Lush, Cheesecake Factory, Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
, the LEGO
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
Store, Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Sony Style (closed 2011), Swim N'Sport, Tilly's, Austin Grill, Punk's Backyard Grill
Punk's Backyard Grill
Punk's Backyard Grill is a contemporary version of the classic American backyard cookout. Open at the Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Maryland, Punk's Backyard Grill is a fast casual style restaurant, with counter ordering and food runners and bussers. The restaurant has a full liquor license,...
, Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works is a privately held restaurant chain that sells submarine sandwiches in the United States. Its name is derived from potbelly stoves common in the late 19th century. The company is headquartered in the tower of the Merchandise Mart in the Near North Side, Chicago,...
, Stoney River Legendary Steaks
Stoney River Legendary Steaks
Stoney River Legendary Steaks is a chain of steakhouses in the United States. There are 11 Stoney River Legendary Steaks restaurants in Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. Its parent company is O'Charley's, Inc...
, Crate & Barrel, Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
, The Disney Store, Francesca's Collections, White House Black Market
White House Black Market
White House | Black Market is an American fashion store targeting women 25 years of age and older. White House | Black Market is known for its sleek lines, and its focus on white, black, and other variants of the two colors...
, Nando's Peri-Peri
Nando's
Nando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
, and Crazy 8. The Under Armour
Under Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
store is the company's first full-line retail store in the country. Punk's Backyard Grill is a locally based, independent restaurant; the Annapolis Mall location is the company's first.