University Boulevard West and Veirs Mill Road
Montgomery County (Wheaton), Maryland
Greater Washington's first mega mall was built on an 80-acre parcel. This was located 11.2 miles northwest of the United States Capitol, in a section of unincorporated Montgomery County known as Wheaton. The original developer, Simon Sherman, announced plans for the complex in February 1955. Ground was broken on January 21, 1956.
In late 1957, development of the project was assumed by DC-based Lerner Enterprises, a joint venture of Isadore M. Gudelsky and Theodore N. Lerner. Their super-sized center was designed by Arthur L. Anderson of Washington, DC, with input from Lathrop Douglass and John Bennett. When fully realized, WHEATON PLAZA encompassed a whopping 1,100,000 leasable square feet and contained seventy tenant spaces. The first thirteen stores made their debut on February 5, 1960.
Included in this group were a (235,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 3-level (162,000 square foot), Washington-based Woodward & Lothrop ["Low-thrup"]. The largest store in the chain at the time of its opening, the WHEATON Ward's consisted of two retail levels. An additional basement floor housed Ward's district offices.
On hand for the February grand opening were Misters Gudelsky and Lerner. Also in attendance were M.L. Reese (Montgomery County manager), Paul M. Hammaker (Montgomery Ward & Company president) and Andrew Parker (Woodward & Lothrop, Incorporated president). Music was provided by the Wheaton High School Band. Thirty-six stores were in operation by the time a three-day dedication got underway, on March 31, 1960.
Charter WHEATON PLAZA tenants included Lerner Shops, Barricini Candy, Winthrop Jewlers, Peoples Drug, Hahn Shoes, and 2-level (37,500 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. A (20,400 square foot) Giant Food had welcomed first shoppers on September 17, 1956. It became part of WHEATON PLAZA. A second supermarket was built as part of a southeast parking area Convenience Center. The (29,000 square foot) Grand Union commenced operation on March 28, 1960. A 7-story office tower was added to the Convenience Center in 1961.
The Broumas Theatres Wheaton Plaza Playhouse opened, on the northwest corner of the mall, on July 25, 1962. The cinema was renovated and re-opened, as the S & H Theatres Wheaton Plaza 1-2-3, in December 1974. A fourth auditorium was dedicated on December 19, 1986.
Major shopping centers in the WHEATON PLAZA trade area included PRINCE GEORGES PLAZA (1959) {6.7 miles southeast, in Hyattsville} and MONTGOMERY MALL (1968) {4.7 miles southwest, in Montgomery County}. WHITE FLINT (1977) {2.6 miles northwest, also in Montgomery County} was too upscale to provide any type of rivalry.
As a keeping up measure, WHEATON PLAZA was enclosed and climate-controlled in 1982. As part of the 5 million dollar project, the Center Court fountain was removed, with new seating, interior landscaping, signage and brick flooring installed. Several tenants also had new storefronts built.
Four years later, the mall's first expansion got underway. This added a new South Wing, anchored by a 2-level (179,000 square foot), Arlington, Virginia-based Hecht's. The upper floor of the new wing connected with the retail level of the existing mall. The lower floor, on the same plane as the service basement, included a small Food Court.
The South Wing addition was completed in October 1987. At the same time, a shuttered bowling alley in the Convenience Center was being renovated into a movie multiplex. The Roth Theatres Wheaton Plaza 7 showed first features on December 25, 1987. The theater was expanded to 11 screens -by the Loews chain- in 1990. The complex operated as the P & G Theatres Wheaton Plaza 11 for several years.
WHEATON PLAZA became became rapid-transit-accessible in 1990. The DC Metro Wheaton Station opened, as part of the 3.2 route mile Silver Spring-to-Wheaton Red Line Extension, on September 22nd.
Woodward & Lothrop folded on November 10, 1995. Its space at WHEATON PLAZA was taken by J.C. Penney, who opened for business on July 20, 1996. Australia's Westfield acquired a 78-percent interest in WHEATON PLAZA in June 1997, with full ownership established in February 1999. The mall had been saddled with the verbose WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN WHEATON moniker in the previous November. The "Shoppingtown" branding was dropped in June 2005.
A second renovation and expansion of of the complex had been announced in November 1998. This was to include the addition of an unnamed fourth anchor and conversion of the service basement into a retail floor. The project was slated to get underway in the spring of 1999, but was delayed for several years.
Construction finally got underway in mid-2003. The north parking area, originally on the same plane as the upper floor, was excavated down to the service basement. The Giant Food and original cinema, on the northwest corner of the complex, were bulldozed. A 2-level (180,000 square foot) Macy's was built, along with a multilevel parking garage.
Meanwhile, Montgomery Ward had closed, with its building being gutted and renovated into a (240,000 square foot) Target. This location opened on July 28, 2002. The mall's basement was refitted as the second retail floor. It contained fifty stores. New skylights were installed in what was now the upper floor, with the Food Court relocated from the basement of the South Wing up to the upper floor of the East Wing.
Structural problems with new construction in the north lot delayed completion of the 141 million dollar project. After some modifications, the renewed WESTFIELD WHEATON held an official grand opening on November 13, 2005. Included along with the remodeling was a freestanding (58,000 square foot) Giant Food, built in the mall's northwest parking area.
The P & G Theatres movie house morphed into the Wheaton Plaza Cinema 'N' Drafthouse, which was in operation between October 2008 and November 2009. The Montgomery Royal Theatre (encompassing 6 screens) was in business between December 2009 and September 2013.
The most recent modifications at WESTFIELD WHEATON involve the shuttering of Hecht's in August 2006. This store re-opened as IFL International Furniture in March 2007 and operated as a Steve & Barry's University Sportswear during 2008. After Steve & Barry's shuttering, it was rumored that the store space would be taken by a Wisconsin-based Kohl's, but this never transpired.
In July 2010, a deal was announced whereby Costco would open a store at the mall. This would occupy the upper floor of an extended South Wing, with Dick's Sporting Goods and Jo-Ann Fabrics on the lower floor. Dick's opened on October 15, 2012. The (148,000 square foot) Costco was dedicated on October 18, with the Jo-Ann store beginning business on October 19th.
WESTFIELD WHEATON now encompassed approximately 1,652,100 leasable square feet, with a retail roster of 181 stores and services. In August 2015, it was reported that the mall's shuttered Montgomery Royal Theatre was to be substantially renovated. The venue re-opened, as the American Multi-Cinema Wheaton Mall 9, on October 13, 2016.
Westfield's American and European property portfolio was merged into the holdings of Paris-based Unibail-Rodamco in June 2018. A new company, known as Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, was created. Westfield shopping centers in Australia and New Zealand were not included in the merger.
Sources:
The Washington Post
The Evening Star (Washington, DC)
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
https://www.cinematreasures.org
https://www.labelscar.com
https://www.reuters.com
https://www.westfield.com/en/united-states/wheaton
"Westfield Wheaton" article on Wikipedia
