CONCORD MALL
Concord Pike / US 202 and Washington Avenue
New Castle County, Delaware

During the late 1960s, three mall-type centers were developed in Delaware; BLUE HEN MALL {in Dover} and TRI-STATE MALL and CONCORD MALL {in the northern environs of Wilmington}. The distinction of first fully-enclosed mall in the state is bestowed on BLUE HEN MALL, which was dedicated in August 1968. The CONCORD and TRI-STATE complexes held grand openings during 1969. 

The story of CONCORD MALL had begun in April 1963. An open-air or fully-enclosed shopping hub, tentatively known as DEVONSHIRE SQUARE, was proposed. This complex would be built on a 30.6-acre plot, located 4.5 miles northeast of Wilmington's city center, and open for business in the summer of 1964. Plans for the shopping center were eventually abandoned.

A few years later, a 1-level (89,000 square foot) Almart was built. This freestanding discount store opened for business on March 17, 1966. Philadelphia's Rubenstein Company added a fully-enclosed shopping center to the north side of Almart. Designed by Philadelphia's Evantash & Freidman firm, the original section of CONCORD MALL encompassed 160,000 leasable square feet.

The complex was officially dedicated on March 11, 1969. A ceremonial ribbon was cut by William J. Conner (New Castle County executive), William Jacobs (of the Concord Mall Merchant's Association) and Mark Rubenstein (one of the mall's developers). Among twenty-four charter tenants were Docktor Pet Center, Lofts Candies, Storm's Shoes, Singer Sewing Center, Donuts Galore, Fabric Tree, Farmers Bank, Thrift Drugs and an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10

As a footnote, a (38,000 square foot) Pathmark supermarket, built on the north end of the mall site, had welcomed first shoppers on February 5, 1969. The freestanding grocery store was expanded into a 79,000 square foot convenience center, which included the Budco Concord Mall Cinema. This single-screen movie house showed its first feature on February 11, 1970.

CONCORD MALL was completed with a fourth phase. This northward addition consisted of thirty-five inline stores and a 3-level (70,000 square foot) Concord Mall Business Center office tower. Twelve "expansion section" stores opened on March 9, 1972. Additional stores commenced operation over the following months. A Woolworth's Harvest House Cafeteria was dedicated on June 1st. 

Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based Pomeroy's opened their 2-level (175,100 square foot) store on October 6, 1972. With its completion, CONCORD MALL and its convenience center encompassed approximately 670,000 leasable square feet and contained over sixty stores and services.

Shopping hubs in the CONCORD MALL trade area included the aforementioned TRI-STATE MALL {6 miles east, in New Castle County} and -eventually- CHRISTIANA MALL {11.3 miles south, also in New Castle County}. This complex encompassed over 800,000 leasable square feet. As a keeping up with CHRISTIANA measure, a face lift remodeling was done to CONCORD MALL in 1981. By this time, the cinema had been reconfigured as the Budco Concord Mall Twin.

A more ambitious mall renovation was completed later in the 1980s. This added a 2-level (150,000 square foot), Philadelphia-based Strawbridge & Clothier, This store, built in front of the mall's main entrance, began business on August 11, 1983. CONCORD MALL now encompassed approximately 820,000 leasable square feet.

Almart had closed and re-opened, as a Jefferson Ward, in July 1980. This store was shuttered on October 31, 1985. It re-opened as a Braintree, Massachusetts-based Bradlees discount mart. This store lasted until 1989. The vacant Almart-Bradlees was demolished in 1990. A 2-level (175,000 square foot) Sears was built, which was dedicated on September 22, 1992.

Meanwhile, Pomeroy's had morphed into a Reading, Pennsylvania-based Boscov's on August 10, 1987. In March 1995, Strawbridge & Clothier opened a 3-level (52,000 square foot) Home Furniture Store in the former CONCORD MALL office building. This became a Macy's Home Store on September 9, 2006, as the Strawbridge's chain was rebranded by Macy's. Woolworth had been shuttered on July 17, 1997.

Wilmington-based Allied Properties acquired CONCORD MALL in December 1998. A formidable competitor came on the scene in 1999. BRANDYWINE TOWN CENTER {1 mile north, in New Castle County} was a lifestyle-format complex with 870,000 leasable square feet.

In the 2010s, two sit-down restaurants were installed in existing store space at CONCORD MALL. Bonefish Grill served its first meals on September 15, 2014, with Grub Burger Bar opening on June 2, 2015. By the 2020s, the mall was struggling and facing foreclosure. It was acquired by Great Neck, New York's Namdar Realty Group in January 2020. Sears shuttered their 27-year-old store in the spring of the same year.

In August 2026, a demolition permit was filed with New Castle County. If said demolition is carried out, the center section of the mall, and the Strawbridge's-Macy's building, would be knocked down. The center section could be replaced with an open-air structure encompassing 235,000 leasable square feet. 

 

Sources:

The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware)
http://www.alliedproperties.com / Allied Properties, Incorporated (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.concordmall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://www.concordmall.com
https://www3.newcastlede.gov / New Castle County, Delaware
http://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.simon.com / Simon Property Group (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://namdarrealtygroup.com / Namdar Realty Group

https://delawarebusinesstimes.com

WPVI-TV 

Comment post by Glenn Ferrell

"Concord Mall", "Strawbridge & Clothier" and "Boscov's" articles on Wikipedia