Tyson Boulevard and Dolley Madison Boulevard (Chain Bridge Road)
Fairfax County (McLean), Virginia
Washington, DC's first mega-sized enclosed mall was built on a 102.9-acre parcel, located 13.4 miles west of the United States Capitol. The site, in a section of unincorporated Fairfax County known as McLean ["mack-layn"], was adjacent to the Capital Beltway-Interstate 495 ring road. This highway was completed in August 1964.
TYSONS CORNER CENTER was designed by New York City's Lathrop Douglass. It was developed by Washington-based Lerner Enterprises, which was a joint venture of Theodore N. Lerner, Homer Gudelsky, H. Max Ammerman and the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, of Hartford. The shopping complex was named in honor of Henry Tyson, who had operated a feed & seed store at the location some years before.
Thirty-five stores (out of an eventual 100) opened on July 25th, 1968. The mall, which originally encompassed 1.2 million leasable square feet, consisted of 2 levels. The upper -or ground- floor was devoted entirely to retail. A lower floor housed a freight delivery tunnel and basement sales areas of larger inline stores. The Village Shops, an exterior-entranced strip center along the northeast side of the complex, was accessed from a lower level parking lot.
There were five courts in the original mall; Fashion Court, Fountain Court, Clock Court, Umbrella Court and Aviary Court. The original anchors were a 3-level (165,000 square foot), Arlington, Virginia-based Hecht's and 3-level (153,000 square foot), Washington-based Woodward & Lothrop ["Low-thrup"].
The mall included a (35,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, (18,000 square foot) Peoples Drug, (28,000 square foot) Giant Food supermarket and 185-seat Town Hall auditorium. The third anchor, a 3-level, DC-based Lansburgh's, joined the store directory on October 19, 1969. It had been preceded by a 2-level (25,000 square foot) Garfinckel's boutique store, which had opened in July 1969.
The mall's first movie house, the Neighborhood Theatres Tyson I & II Twin, was situated in the basement and a lower sub-level. Its box office and entrance came off of the Fashion Court on -what was- the main level of the mall. This twin cinema showed first features on October 16, 1968. It was reconfigured as a 4-screen venue in 1980 and shuttered in December 1990. A second cinema, the Roth Theaters Tysons Corner 5, was also situated on the mall's lower level, in the Village Shops strip. This multiplex showed first features on July 11, 1975. It was eventually expanded into an 8-screen venue and was in operation until 1995.
Major shopping malls in the vicinity of TYSONS CORNER CENTER included SPRINGFIELD MALL (1972) {10 miles southeast, in Fairfax County, Virginia}, FAIR OAKS MALL (1980) {8 miles southwest, also in Fairfax County} and DULLES TOWN CENTER (1999) {13.1 miles northwest, in Loudon County, Virginia}. In addition, the upscale TYSONS GALLERIA, located directly north of TYSONS CORNER CENTER, was dedicated in October 1988. The two sibling centers soon became known locally as "Tysons I" (TYSONS CORNER CENTER) and "Tysons II" (The GALLERIA).
The TYSONS CORNER CENTER Lansburgh's created a great deal of litigation during its short time at the mall. City Stores, the Lansburgh's parent company, had sued Lerner Enterprises, the mall's developer, in February 1966. Lerner had tried to block Lansburgh's from opening at the complex, but was thwarted when Lansburgh's won the court case.
The chain was also involved in a complaint filed, by the Federal Trade Commission, against City Stores, May Department Stores (Hecht's) and Woodward & Lothrop, in July 1971. The complaint stipulated that the three entities had entered into lease arrangements which could block smaller stores from opening at the mall. This issue was settled in 1974.
Following the shutdown of the Lansburgh's chain, in May 1973, City Stores was sued over the potential transfer of the vacant structure to the New York City-based Korvettes discount chain. Eventually, City Stores abandoned the Korvettes plan and re-opened the store under their Philadelphia-based Lit Brothers division. The "Lits" store opened in late 1973 and would be in operation until 1975. New York City-based Bloomingdale's moved in and welcomed first patrons on September 9, 1976.
Woodward & Lothrop entered a downward spiral after filing for bankruptcy in January 1994. The struggling chain was placed on the auction block, with Federated Stores, May Department Stores and J.C. Penney placing bids. In June 1995, J.C. Penney bought seven Washington, DC "Woodie's" locations. May Department Stores ended up with those of the Philadelphia-based Wanamaker's division. The TYSONS CORNER CENTER Woodward & Lothrop shut down on November 10, 1995. Penney's new store was dedicated on July 20, 1996.
Construction work on the mall's first expansion got underway in 1986. The lower level was reconfigured as a second retail concourse. A 3-level (200,000 square foot) Nordstrom was built, which opened on March 4, 1988. A (120,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, consisting of 2 retail levels with a parking deck beneath, was dedicated in early 1990.
During this renovation, the existing mall was fitted with new skylights, marble floors and interior landscaping. Four Parking Terraces were built, as well. Hecht's had been expanded (with a 2-level addition) to 237,000 square feet. Bloomingdale's was built out into the lower level of the South Wing, for a total floor area of 255,800 square feet. The TYSONS complex now housed 200 stores and services.
Construction work on the mall's first expansion got underway in 1986. The lower level was reconfigured as a second retail concourse. A 3-level (200,000 square foot) Nordstrom was built, which opened on March 4, 1988. A (120,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, consisting of 2 retail levels with a parking deck beneath, was dedicated in early 1990.
During this renovation, the existing mall was fitted with new skylights, marble floors and interior landscaping. Four Parking Terraces were built, as well. Hecht's had been expanded (with a 2-level addition) to 237,000 square feet. Bloomingdale's was built out into the lower level of the South Wing, for a total floor area of 255,800 square feet. The TYSONS complex now housed 200 stores and services.
In 1985, the complex was acquired by a joint venture of Lehndorff Tysons Properties and the Alaska Permanent Fund. It changed hands again in February 2004. The share owned by the Lehndorff entity was acquired by Rochester-based Wilmorite Properties, with the Alaska Permanent Fund retaining their fifty- percent ownership. Wilmorite Properties became a subsidiary of the Santa Monica-based Macerich Company in April 2005, with the mall becoming a Macerich property.
At this time, another mall renovation was underway. J.C. Penney, which was shuttered on April 19, 2003, was gutted and rebuilt as a 3-level section of East Wing stores. The concourse was extended farther with an addition, which included a 2-level Barnes & Noble, 10-bay Food Court, fifth Parking Terrace and American Multi-Cinema Tysons Corner 16. The new movie megaplex showed first features on September 30, 2005. The newly-expanded East Wing was dedicated on October 1st.
By the 2010s, Macerich was planning another reinvention of the shopping hub. The four-phase Tysons Future project would add retail, residential, office and hotel components to the site. Construction on the first phase was underway by the spring of 2013. In anticipation of this, the Giant Food Convenience Center, adjacent to the north parking lot, had been demolished.
An outdoor plaza, flanked by new apartment, office and hotel high-rise structures, was being built. It would be connected, via skybridge, to the prospective Tysons Corner Station, a component of the DC Metro's 23-route-mile Silver Line extension to Washington-Dulles International Airport. Federal funding for the extension was approved in December 2008, with construction getting underway in March 2009. Revenue service on the 11.6 route mile Phase One line, from East Falls Church to Wiehle-Reston East, commenced on July 26, 2014.
The 1.5 acre Plaza At Tysons Corner Center had been dedicated on July 24, 2014. It included a children's play area, concert stage and urban green, which doubled as an ice skating rink during the winter months. Flanking the Plaza were the following structures;
*Vita Apartments - extending for 30-stories and housing 429 luxury units.
*Tysons Tower - a 22-story office building.
*Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center - consisting of 18 stories and 300 rooms.
Further Tysons Future plans call for retail, office and residential developments in the existing parking areas north and south of Macy's and south of Nordstrom and east of Bloomingdale's. The shuttering of Lord & Taylor, on January 19, 2020, provided space for an expansion of the Plaza At Tysons Corner. The vacant store structure would be demolished.
At this time, another mall renovation was underway. J.C. Penney, which was shuttered on April 19, 2003, was gutted and rebuilt as a 3-level section of East Wing stores. The concourse was extended farther with an addition, which included a 2-level Barnes & Noble, 10-bay Food Court, fifth Parking Terrace and American Multi-Cinema Tysons Corner 16. The new movie megaplex showed first features on September 30, 2005. The newly-expanded East Wing was dedicated on October 1st.
By the 2010s, Macerich was planning another reinvention of the shopping hub. The four-phase Tysons Future project would add retail, residential, office and hotel components to the site. Construction on the first phase was underway by the spring of 2013. In anticipation of this, the Giant Food Convenience Center, adjacent to the north parking lot, had been demolished.
An outdoor plaza, flanked by new apartment, office and hotel high-rise structures, was being built. It would be connected, via skybridge, to the prospective Tysons Corner Station, a component of the DC Metro's 23-route-mile Silver Line extension to Washington-Dulles International Airport. Federal funding for the extension was approved in December 2008, with construction getting underway in March 2009. Revenue service on the 11.6 route mile Phase One line, from East Falls Church to Wiehle-Reston East, commenced on July 26, 2014.
The 1.5 acre Plaza At Tysons Corner Center had been dedicated on July 24, 2014. It included a children's play area, concert stage and urban green, which doubled as an ice skating rink during the winter months. Flanking the Plaza were the following structures;
*Vita Apartments - extending for 30-stories and housing 429 luxury units.
*Tysons Tower - a 22-story office building.
*Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center - consisting of 18 stories and 300 rooms.
Further Tysons Future plans call for retail, office and residential developments in the existing parking areas north and south of Macy's and south of Nordstrom and east of Bloomingdale's. The shuttering of Lord & Taylor, on January 19, 2020, provided space for an expansion of the Plaza At Tysons Corner. The vacant store structure would be demolished.
As this was playing out, new stores were signed and existing ones relocated. Irish fashion retailer Primark opened a mall store on July 16, 2024. Taking the place of a shuttered L.L. Bean, it encompassed 2 levels and 35,000 square feet. Other new tenants included Kate Spade New York, The Cheesecake Factory and Mango. Barnes & Noble relocated into a (16,700 square foot) First Level store. Three parking garages were also refurbished.
Sources:
The Washington Post
Sources:
The Washington Post
The Northern Virginia Sun (Arlington, Virginia)
The Evening Star (Washington, DC)
Fairfax County, Virginia tax assessor website
https://www.cinematreasures.org
Fairfax County, Virginia tax assessor website
https://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.shoptysons.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.tysonscornercenter.com
http://www.tysonsfuture.com
https://www.macerich.com / The Macerich Company
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com
http://www.tysonscornercenter.com
http://www.dullesmetro.com
http://www.tysonsfuture.com
https://www.macerich.com / The Macerich Company
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com
http://www.tysonscornercenter.com
http://www.dullesmetro.com
https://www.tysonsreporter.com
https://www.restonskylines.com
https://www.ffxnow.com
"Capital Beltway" article on Wikipedia
"Capital Beltway" article on Wikipedia
