Frederick Towne Mall

Frederick Towne Mall was a mall located in Frederick, Maryland, United States. The mall opened in 1972 on U.S. Route 40 along the "Golden Mile".[1] It was closed in April 2013, except for two anchor stores, Boscov's and Home Depot. In November 2019 it was announced that the mall would be renamed District 40 and would become an entertainment center with a movie theater, and possibly a trampoline park, video arcade, go-karts and bowling alley.

Frederick Towne Center
LocationFrederick, Maryland, United States
Coordinates39°25′12″N 77°27′19″W
Opening date1972
Closing dateApril 2013
OwnerLYNK Capital
No. of stores and services0 (20 vacant)
No. of anchor tenants3 (1 vacant)
No. of floors1 (2 in Boscov's)
Public transit access TransIT bus: 10, 40, 50, 51, 80

History

Frederick Towne Mall was first announced in 1970; early plans called for the mall to be between 350,000 to 400,000 square feet, but plans were later pushed to 630,000 square feet, with a central second floor for service tenants. An opening date was set for April 1971.[2] By March 1971, anchors had been announced to include Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penney, and Everley's, with Wards set to open in fall 1971, followed by the rest of the mall "in about a year". Other tenants announced included McCrory's, Peoples Drug, Thom McAn, RadioShack, Foxwood Casuals, Chess King, General Nutrition Centers, Kay Jewelers, and Walden Books.[3]

The area surrounding the mall eventually intensified with low income housing, as did violent crime in the surrounding area. After a series of well-publicized events earned the mall a reputation for crime and frequent fights, mall tenants began relocating to a safer retail district across the city near the competing Francis Scott Key Mall, which opened in 1978.[4]

The Montgomery Ward store closed in 2001 due to bankruptcy and later to be replaced in 2004 by The Home Depot.[4] The then vacant J.C.Penney was replaced with Boscov's in 2003.[5] In 2005, Gentlemen's Choice, the last remaining original tenant, moved out.[6]

In 2006, proposals were made to redevelop the mall into a mixed use site.[7] However, by 2009, economic issues caused by the Great Recession ended the possibility of mixed use redevelopment for the time.[8]

By 2007, the reputation for crime the mall gained increased, as a woman was attacked and beaten while exiting the Bon-Ton department store. This reputation would only grow further when the Hoyts Cinemas 10 was closed in 2008 after a man was stabbed to death inside. Because of this, Frederick residents relocated their dollars to the safer side of town, near the Francis Scott Key Mall.

In November 2010, it was announced that the Bon-Ton store and their furniture gallery would be closing within the next few months. They closed in January 2011, leaving the mall without any original anchor stores. John's Hallmark, the last interior tenant, closed its doors in April 2013; however by this time it was selling merchandise out of its back door due to the closure of the mall's interior to the public in early April.[9] At this time, it was announced that Walmart had plans to open on the site, following demolition of the mall, however these plans were cancelled in 2016.[10][11]

In 2014, just a year after the closure of the mall, three men were charged with burglary and trespassing after breaking into the mall by prying one of its doors. Officers went inside and arrested the three men. Their motive for breaking into the mall remains unclear.[12]

Since 2015, the land has been planned for redevelopment.[13] In 2016, work started on a redevelopment called Frederick Towne Center. Boscov's and Home Depot will be kept and the mall in between demolished. The new site plan would include a Walmart of size 155,000-square-foot.[14] In September of that year, however, Walmart cancelled their plans for redevelopment.

Shortly afterwards, the owner of the property considered selling the mall. On November 23, 2016, there was an auction for the site between December 6 to 8 with a starting bid of $2.5 million.[15] On February 24, 2017, the property was sold to LYNK Capital, headed by urologist Mohammed Mohiuddin.[16]

As of 2018 many For Lease signs can be seen around the building. A Warehouse cinemas is slated to open on the former Hoyts Cinemas side of the mall with a signed lease and the mall being cleaned up, although it has been several months since any work has been done and lease signs have reappeared on the Hoyts anchor building.[17]

District 40

On November 11, 2019 it was officially announced that the mall was being renamed District 40 and may include tenants with business such as go-karts, a bowling alley, a video arcade, a trampoline park, and restaurants.[18]

Warehouse Cinemas would be the first tenant and was expected to open in the summer of 2020. According to the report, Home Depot, which is connected to the old mall, is technically not included in the property and Boscov's still has a lease, but no further details were disclosed about the future of the store.[19]

References
  1. Heidenrich, Chris (November 24, 2003). Frederick: Local and National Crossroads. p. 145. ISBN 9781439614068. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  2. "Progress Report Planned April 13 On Local Mall". The News. April 7, 1970. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. "45 Stores Listed For New Mall". The Frederick News-Post. March 20, 1971. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  4. "Frederick Towne Mall; Frederick, Maryland - Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". September 3, 2010.
  5. Symonds, Andrew (March 8, 2003). "Boscov's coming to Towne". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  6. Waters, Ed, Jr. (September 27, 2005). "Last original Frederick Towne Mall tenant relocates". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  7. "Changes may be in store along Golden Mile - The Frederick News-Post Online". February 11, 2012. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012.
  8. "Mall redevelopment plans plagued by weak economy". The Frederick News-Post. March 9, 2010. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  9. McCarthy, Pete (April 16, 2013). "Last one out: John's Hallmark closing at vacant Frederick Towne Mall". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  10. Bondeson, Jen (July 19, 2013). "City makes way for Wal-Mart on Frederick Towne Mall site". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  11. Lavin, Nancy (September 1, 2016). "Wal-Mart pulls plans for west Frederick store". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  12. The Associated Pross. "3 arrested for breaking into abandoned Frederick Towne Mall in Maryland". WJLA. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  13. "Shopping center planned for Frederick Towne Mall site looking for tenants". The Frederick News Post. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  14. Jones, Paige. "Work at Frederick Towne Mall progresses behind closed doors".
  15. "Frederick Towne Mall for sale in online auction". The Frederick News Post. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  16. Panuska, Mallory. "Frederick Towne Mall site sells for more than $6 million". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  17. Paluska, Mallory (August 7, 2018). "Warehouse Cinemas still planned for Frederick Towne Mall site". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  18. Marshall, Ryan. "Towne Mall development creates opportunities and challenges". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  19. "Frederick Towne Mall site renamed 'District 40,' will become entertainment center". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
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