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Plans call for redeveloping Springfield Mall in Virginia into a lifestyle center.

November 22, 2010

Today's Washington Post has an interesting article on Springfield Mall in Northern Virginia. The struggling mall is about a third vacant and plans to turn it into a "lifestyle center" have languished due to the poor economy. The plans had called for 1.1 million square feet of office space, a 225 room hotel, and 2,200 apartments. Of particular interest to this blog is the quote made in the article by John Asadoorian, a Washington broker specializing in the retail industry. Asadoorian states, "You have online shopping, specialty independent stores, much more street retail, and many of these malls were built for a different era, a different time."

The article goes on to list several other malls in trouble, all located within a few miles of Destination Main Streets. Frederick Towne Mall is not far from Frederick, Maryland's Main Street. The Shops at Georgetown Park is located on M Street which happens to be Georgetown's Main Street in Washington, DC. And finally, Landmark Mall is just a few miles from downtown Alexandria, Virginia. Although, we do not wish ill upon other shopping destinations, perhaps the future will bode well for Destination Main Streets and more Main Street-style developments. However one Main Street-style development in the Washington area is cause for concern. The article mentions that The Boulevard at Capital Centre in Landover has struggled with crime and vacancies.