Duke and Van Dorn Streets
Alexandria, Virginia
Planning for Greater Washington, DC's sixth shopping mall was underway by 1955. Omer L. Hirst, a local real estate developer, bought a 52-acre parcel located 10 miles southwest of the United States Capitol, in the "Independent City" of Alexandria. The Alexandria Planning Council approved Hirst's plan for a suburban shopping center in 1957.
Mr. Hirst assembled a group of investors who formed a development company known as the Alexandria Partnership. A shopping complex plan was formally announced in September 1963. LANDMARK CENTER would be designed by New York City's Abbot & Merkt Company. The first two operational stores were a 2-level (163,000 square foot), Arlington, Virginia-based Hecht's and 2-level (236,000 square foot) Sears. These were officially dedicated on August 4, 1965.
Officiating at the grand opening were Lieutenant Governor Mills. E. Godwin, Jr. (D), Nicholas Calasanto (Vice Mayor of Alexandria) and Ira R. DeVonald (President of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce). A ceremonial ribbon was cut by the Vice Mayor, with over 1,000 multicolored balloons released.
A second dedication ceremony was held on October 11, 1965, with a 3-level (140,000 square foot), Washington-based Woodward & Lothrop dedicated. Twenty-six tenants also opened their doors. Among these were Peoples Drug, Steven Windsor Fashions, Raleigh Haberdashery, Waldenbooks, Casual Corner and an S & W Cafeteria. When fully realized, LANDMARK CENTER encompassed 675,000 leasable square feet and contained thirty-four stores and services beneath its awnings.
A second dedication ceremony was held on October 11, 1965, with a 3-level (140,000 square foot), Washington-based Woodward & Lothrop dedicated. Twenty-six tenants also opened their doors. Among these were Peoples Drug, Steven Windsor Fashions, Raleigh Haberdashery, Waldenbooks, Casual Corner and an S & W Cafeteria. When fully realized, LANDMARK CENTER encompassed 675,000 leasable square feet and contained thirty-four stores and services beneath its awnings.
Shopping hubs in the LANDMARK CENTER trade area were many. Early on, there was SEVEN CORNERS CENTER (1956) {4 miles southeast, in Fairfax County, Virginia}. This was joined by TYSONS CORNER CENTER (1968) {8.2 miles northwest, in Fairfax County, Virginia} and SPRINGFIELD MALL (1972) {3.4 miles southwest, also in Fairfax County, Virginia}.
The 1980s and '90s brought FAIR OAKS MALL (1980) {12.4 miles northwest, in Fairfax County, Virginia}, BALLSTON COMMON MALL (1986) [a rebuild of PARKINGTON SHOPPING CENTER] {4.3 miles northeast, in Arlington County, Virginia} and FASHION CENTER AT PENTAGON CITY (1989) {4.7 miles northeast, also in Arlington County}.
Australia's International Investment Property Company acquired LANDMARK CENTER in 1984. A prospective renovation had been announced in 1977, with its price estimated at 13 million dollars. The project was to
include enclosure of the mallway and entries, addition of twenty-nine
inline shops, expansion of existing Hecht's and Woodward & Lothrop
stores and construction of a multilevel parking garage.
It would be over 10 years before construction would get underway on an amended redevelopment. A groundbreaking was held on January 23, 1988. Demolition of the open-air mall was soon underway, with only the anchor stores left standing. The north parking
area was excavated, bringing it down to the basement level of the
original mall. The shopping center was rebuilt as a fully-enclosed, 3-level complex,
encompassing approximately 969,000 leasable square feet. Woodward & Lothrop was expanded to 151,000
square feet, Hecht's to 191,800. A multilevel garage now filled the north parking area.
US Prime Property, Incorporated, of New York City, acquired the partially-completed LANDMARK MALL in June 1990. The revamped retail complex was officially dedicated on November 16 of the same year. 135 stores -out of an eventual 160- were up and running. Tenants included Lechters Housewares, American Eagle Outfitters and Eddie Bauer. A partial third level featured a 13-bay Food Court.
Chicago-based General Growth Properties acquired the holdings of US Prime Property in June 1998, as part of a GGP-Ivanhoe joint venture. Meanwhile, Woodward & Lothrop had become the mall's first rebranded anchor. The store, shuttered on November 10, 1995, re-opened as a J.C. Penney on July 20, 1996. This operation lasted until April 2000, with Lord & Taylor moving into the space in November 2001.
By this time, LANDMARK MALL was in decline. Several factors were involved, such as road construction in the area and the proliferation of crime at the shopping center. Commercial competition also came from POTOMAC YARD CENTER (1997) {4.5 miles northeast, in Alexandria} and MARKET COMMON AT CLARENDON (2001) {5.3 miles northeast, in Arlington}.
Little by little, upscale stores at LANDMARK MALL had closed, being replaced by mom & pop operations or vacant store space. On September 9, 2006, Hecht's was "Macy-ated". Lord & Taylor closed July 12, 2009. In an attempt to reinvent the struggling shopping center, GGP had announced a major redevelopment in 2004. The 14-year-old mall structure was to be demolished, again leaving its three anchors. The replacement would be a town center-type, mixed-use development, tentatively named LANDMARK VILLAGE.
This project never got off the ground. A revamped plan, for a WEST END TOWN CENTER, had evolved by 2008. This was thwarted by GGP's bankruptcy, which played out between late 2008 and mid-2010. As a result of a corporate reorganization, the LANDMARK MALL property became a holding of the Howard Hughes Corporation, a real estate development arm of GGP. They proposed a third redevelopment scenario that would raze the mall structure and Woodward & Lothrop building.
Sears and Macy's would remain as is. They would anchor an open-air "mixed-use environment," known as simply LANDMARK. This open-air complex would include 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 400 apartment units (on levels above the stores) and a state-of-the-art, 10-screen megaplex cinema.
Work was to commence on the redevelopment in the spring of 2014. This date was pushed back to late 2014, early 2016, late 2016...and then sometime in 2017. Twenty-four remaining inline stores were given eviction notices, effective January 31, 2017. Macy's closed for good in March 2017, leaving only Sears in operation. This store went dark in September 2020.
The most recent redevelopment spin was announced in July 2021. The moribund mall would be totally demolished and replaced by a relocation of Inova Alexandria Hospital. On January 24, 2022, the mall redevelopment project was renamed West End Alexandria. Demolition-construction commenced on May 12, 2022.
Sources:
The Washington Post
httpsnovahistory.ctevans.net (Northern Virginia Digital History Archive / Amy Bertsch)
https://thezebra.org
http://www.labelscar.com
http://www.howardhughes.com / Howard Hughes Corporation
"Landmark Mall" article in Wikipedia
"Shirley Memorial Highway" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF LANDMARK CENTER IMAGES:
The photos from the Northern Virginia Digital History Archive illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are of lower resolution than the originals (copies made would be of inferior quality). The images are not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.
