Landover Mall

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Landover Mall, built and owned by Lerner Enterprises, is a defunct shopping mall in Landover, Maryland. When it opened in 1972, it was one of the largest in the region, but its popularity declined until its closure in 2002.

In its prime, the Landover had three local department store anchors: Hecht's, Garfinckel's, Woodward & Lothrop (Woodies), and one national chain, Sears. There was a six-screen theater in the basement which had its own escalators, but it closed in 1988, the year that Landover began its rapid decline. In 1990, Garfinckel's filed for bankruptcy and went out of business; five years later (1995), Woodies went out of business.

In 1998, JC Penney moved into the former Woodies location but found business unprofitable and closed that location three years later. Hecht's relocated to a new store at Bowie Town Center in nearby Bowie, Maryland. Sears owns its Landover location, which is still open despite also having a store at Bowie Town Center. Aside from Sears, the mall was completely vacated and closed in May 2002. Most of the mall's doors were sealed shut with cinder blocks. As of 2006, Sears is still open with its mall entrance sealed shut.

Many believe that the closure was due to crime in the surrounding neighborhoods of Ardmore, Glenarden, Brightseat, Palmer Park, Dodge Park, Capitol Heights, and Kentland. As of January 2006, Landover Mall is being demolished. The Sears store remains open during demolition, but Sears is planning on relocating to a new shopping center on Ritchie Road near Capitol Heights.^[1]

Demolition began in 2006. It is expected to be a slow process, as the building's concrete will be recycled. Plans are for demolition to be complete by winter 2007.