Lakeforest Mall, formerly Lakeforest Regional Mall was a two-level shopping mall 23.3 miles (37.4 km) northwest of downtown Washington, DC, between Russell Avenue, Odendhal Avenue, Lost Knife Road and Montgomery Village Avenue in Gaithersburg, a suburb of Washington, DC. The mall had four anchors which once housed JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears.
History[]
On September 12, 1978, Lakeforest Regional Mall opened to the public, the mall had four original anchors which were Hecht's, JCPenney, Sears and Woodward & Lothrop. The mall, named after the picturesque Lake Walker, emerged with 30-50 stores, some relocated from the nearby Village Mall. It pioneered indoor shopping in the U.S. with an ice skating rink in the "H section," making it the county's largest indoor mall at the time. The rink later transformed into a movie complex and eventually a bustling food court until the mall's closure. In 1984, the ice rink gave way to NTI Theaters, eventually rebranded as Cineplex Odeon Lakeforest 5. Around 1994, Barbara Kreuser managed the mall. In 1995, Woodward & Lothrop closed, replaced by Lord & Taylor in 1996. During the 1990s, Friendly's and Long John Silver's were present but have since closed. On August 20, 1998, Taubman Centers sold the property to GM Pension Trust, and in September 1998, part of the parking lot became the Lakeforest Transit Center with a Park and Ride.
In January 2000, the Cineplex Odeon Lakeforest 5 movie theater closed. By November 2000, the space transformed into Cafes in the Forest, a new food court with nine businesses. Over the years, the mall featured full-service restaurants like Chi-Chi's, Ruby Tuesday, Red Robin, and Silver Diner.
Simon Property Group acquired the mall in 2003. On May 28, 2006, Macy's replaced Hecht's. Originally developed by Taubman Centers, the mall has been under Simon Property Group's ownership and management since 2007.
The company defaulted on its mortgage in 2011, leading to the mall being put up for sale.
In 2011, the mall introduced a miniature train ride on its upper floor. By 2012, it reported a net income of $14.68 million. In 2013, Five Mile Capital Partners enlisted Hines to develop a long-term plan, resulting in a new children's play area and the removal of the original play area and nearby fountain.
The mall's net income declined to $6.18 million in 2016. On August 22, 2017, the mall was auctioned for $19.1 million due to foreclosure, marking a significant drop from its $100 million value in 2012. As of August 2017, Paul DeMarco became the general manager.
In February 2019, JCPenney announced the closure of its Lakeforest Mall location, followed by Lord & Taylor in September 2019. WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments acquired the mall in 2019 and plans to redevelop the entire 100 acres. Sears also closed its Lakeforest Mall location on December 1, 2019, leaving Macy's as the sole remaining anchor.
On October 20, 2022, WRS Inc. declared the demolition of Lakeforest Mall by 2024, with a specific date to be disclosed later in 2023. The tentative redevelopment proposal involves relocating the Lakeforest Transit Center and Park and Ride, constructing townhouses, office buildings, a parking garage, new stores at the center, a movie theater, and enhancing three ponds with a boardwalk, among other plans.
Subsequently, on January 4, 2023, Macy's announced its closure as part of a strategy to shutter 4 nationwide stores, all situated in underperforming indoor shopping malls. With the closure of Macy's on March 18, 2023, through liquidation sales starting on January 9, 2023, Lakeforest Mall lost all its anchors, rendering it a vacant shopping center.
Anchors[]
Former anchors[]
- JCPenney (1978–2019)
- Sears (1978–2019)
- Lord & Taylor (1996–2019), replacing original tenant Woodward & Lothrop (1978–1995)
- Macy's (2006–2023), after acquiring original tenant Hecht's (1978–2006)