Laurel Shopping Center
 | |
| Location | Laurel, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1956 |
| Developer | Berman Enterprises LP |
| Management | Federal Realty Investment Trust |
| Owner | Federal Realty Investment Trust |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | Laurel Shopping Center |
Laurel Shopping Center is an open-air shopping complex located in Laurel, Maryland, on U.S. Route 1 just south of Maryland Route 198, and is positioned next to the Towne Centre at Laurel.
History
The $2 million shopping center on 15 acres (61,000 m2) was developed by Berman Enterprises LP and opened on November 14, 1956, with 30 stores.[1] The developers also developed the Ingleside Shopping Center near Baltimore, Maryland.
On April 24, 1964, the Hecht Company opened a 83,714-square-foot (7,777.3 m2) store, its sixth location in the Washington, D.C., area, at the center.[2] A notable feature of the store at its opening was the French Provincial beauty salon and snack bar. The store closed and moved to adjacent Laurel Mall in 1981.
The shopping center's claim to fame came in 1972, when Alabama Governor George Wallace was wounded in an assassination attempt while campaigning for the presidency on May 15. Wallace survived the assassination attempt but was left paralyzed from the waist down. A bank branch remains near the location of the assassination attempt – Equitable Trust at the time and currently Bank of America.[3][4]
A lesser known involvement in another significant part of American history came three days before the September 11 attacks. Hijacker Mohamed Atta sent $5000 to Mustafa Ahmad via a wire transfer he initiated at the Giant Food store located in the shopping center.[5][6]
Current
Anchor stores include Giant Food, CVS Pharmacy, Harbor Freight Tools, Marshalls department store, and LA Fitness. The Laurel Shopping Center is adjacent to the Towne Centre at Laurel, which replaced Laurel Mall in 2014.
References
- ↑ "Laurel Shopping Center to Open," The Washington Post and Times Herald, Nov 7, 1956, p. C15.
- ↑ "Hecht's to Open Sixth Store Today in Laurel," The Washington Post, Times Herald, Apr 24, 1964, p. D9.
- ↑ Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1981). "Assassination Attempts: George C. Wallace Alabama Governor Part 1". Demand Media. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ Friend, Richard (May 15, 2012). "Laurel Shopping Center + George Wallace, 40 Years Later". Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ↑ "Money Transfer" (PDF). United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui. September 8, 2001. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ↑ "Prosecution Trial Exhibits". United States v. Zacarias Moussaoui. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
Western Union money transfer form showing that $5000 was sent by Mohamed Atta to Mustafa Ahmad on 09/08/01
External links
Coordinates: 39°5′46″N 76°51′16″W / 39.09611°N 76.85444°W