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Landover Mall, built and owned by Lerner Enterprises, is a defunct shopping mall in Landover, Maryland. When it opened in 1972, it was one of the largest in the region, but its popularity declined until its closure in 2002.

In its prime, the Landover had three local department store anchors: Hecht's, Garfinckel's, Woodward & Lothrop (Woodies), and one national chain, Sears. There was a six-screen theater in the basement which had its own escalators, but it closed in 1991, the year that Landover began its rapid decline. In 1990, Garfinckel's filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. The former Garfinckel's anchor store was never replaced. Five years later (1995), Woodies went out of business.

JCPenney moved into the former Woodies location but found business unprofitable. The store was converted to a JC Penney outlet location in fall 1998 and was closed altogether in early 2001. In early 2002, Hecht's relocated to a new store at Bowie Town Center in nearby Bowie, Maryland. At that point Lerner decided to close the mall entirely. The mall's doors were sealed shut with cinder blocks.

Many believe that the closure was due to crime in the surrounding neighborhoods of Ardmore, Glenarden, Brightseat, Palmer Park, Dodge Park, Capitol Heights, and Kentland.

Demolition began in 2006, and was completed in early 2007. Plans were for the building's concrete to be recycled. Sears owns its Landover location, which remains open with its mall entrance sealed shut. Sears is planning on relocating to Ritchie Station Marketplace on Ritchie Road near Capitol Heights.^[1] The area of the former mall and most of its parking lot is now fenced off. Landover Mall's sign is covered with a tarp, and the message board reads "Sears - Sears Open Daily and Sunday 10:00 - 9:30pm". The only reference to Landover Mall is an exit sign with the original mall logo (made to simulate the Interstate 495/Landover Road cloverleaf).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• DC Grocery
• Landover Mall at deadmalls.com
• Mall's Comedown Taints Lerner Image

Coordinates: 38°55′12″N 76°51′22″W / 38.92°N 76.85611°W / 38.92; -76.85611