About a month ago, Elyse, Brian, Aaron, and I took a field trip to Landmark Mall in Alexandria, visiting it for the last time. Landmark was slated to close permanently on January 31, and so we came by to get photos before it all shut down. This trip took a similar form to when Elyse and I visited Owings Mills Mall in September 2015, though in the case of Owings Mills, we didn’t know that in less than two weeks from our visit, the mall would close permanently. With Landmark, the mall was closing at the end of January in preparation for a redevelopment that would replace the mall with a mixed-use “town center” style development. The Macy’s and Sears stores would remain through the redevelopment, however, I suspect that may change. The Landmark Macy’s was included in the round of store closings that Macy’s was doing in early 2017, and I’d suggest that the long-term prospects for Sears’ survival are looking pretty grim, so the plan to include those two buildings in the new development might change, as one of those stores is vacating, and the second may not be far behind.
And then here are photos:
Escalators in the mall’s northeast corner, viewed from the lower level.
Mall entrances for Macy’s, viewed from the lower level. Note the “store closing” signs inside.
Open area in the mall’s southeast corner, between the center court and Macy’s.
Escalator entrance to the food court level, which was above the two main shopping levels, blocked off with a barrier and plants. The food court level closed before the remainder of the mall.
Center court, viewed from the upper shopping level (the same level as the RK Jewelers store visible in the photo).
The center court, viewed from the same vantage point as above, showing the play area for children in the middle.
Former Bubbles hair salon, on the upper level next to Lord & Taylor.
“Right Time By Wantai” kiosk, stored in a corner next to the upper level entrance to Lord & Taylor.
Upper level entrance to the former Lord & Taylor store. This store closed in 2009.
Open area in the southwest part of the mall between the center court and Sears, viewed from the upper level.
Empty store on the upper level. It appears to have been a clothing store of some sort, but I don’t know which company it was built out for. The paintwork on the ceiling also makes me think that another store might have occupied the space after the original tenant left.
Sears court, viewed from the upper level.
Former Old Navy space on the upper level. The space was last used for a store called “Furniture & Mattress Outlet”.
1990s-era signage at the lower level mall entrance to Sears.
Open area in southwest part of the mall between the center court and Sears, viewed from the lower level.
Former Auntie Anne’s pretzel store on the lower level.
Center court, viewed from the lower level, looking upward.
Former CVS store on the lower level. Unlike most CVS stores, this location did not contain a pharmacy.
I also got photos of the company that I was with in the mall:
Elyse and Brian pose for a photo through a set of steps near the Macy’s.
Elyse poses for a photo in the former T-Mobile kiosk.
Brian, Aaron, and Elyse get a photo of the Sears sign.
Elyse and Brian pose for photos on some of the kiddie rides.
All in all, we had a fun time. The other patrons in the mall that we spoke to were also there, for the most part, to pay their last respects to the mall. We also ended up chatting at length with a person who worked for either the mall management, and he was really awesome. He knew what we were up to, and said that even though technically, the mall had a no-photography rule, he was more than happy to look the other way, since the mall was closing and all.
And now, I suppose we’ll see what happens with the site’s redevelopment.