# Lakeforest Mall

Gaithersburg, MD · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-bfa5c9d5db` · release 2026-10-20

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/gaithersburg-lakeforest-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-bfa5c9d5db.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-bfa5c9d5db.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-bfa5c9d5db

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | reported · public sources |
| New use | housing, office, retail, entertainment, park, mixed | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | ~1,600 homes and ~500k sf retail ($1.2B) | reported · public sources |
| Opened | 1978 | reported · Wikidata |
| Closed | 2023 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2026 | reported · public sources |
| Acres | 100.0 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| GLA (sq ft) | 1045000 | reported · research |
| Original developer | Taubman Centers | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | WRS | reported · public sources |
| Zoning change | C-2 (general commercial) → MXD (mixed use); sketch plan up to 1,600 dwellings and 1.2M sq ft non-residential (map amendment to MXD with sketch plan) | documented · research |
| Public subsidy | The county is spending about $5M to purchase the land for the transit center and prepare the site. | reported · research |
| Entitlement year | 2023 | reported · research |
| Planning notes | Approved by Gaithersburg Mayor and Council, 5-0, April 17, 2023. Lakeforest Mall Master Plan (adopted Aug 16, 2021) https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/projects-in-the-city/lakeforest-mall-rezoning | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_closed**: “The mall closed to the public on March 31, 2023.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- **acres**: “WRS Inc. is planning to redevelop the entire 100 acres (40 ha).” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- **original_developer**: “Originally developed, owned and operated by Taubman Centers” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- **status**: “Demolition was completed on June 9, 2026.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- **zoning_change**: “The master plan calls for rezoning the 102-acre site from general commercial to mixed use.” — https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/projects-in-the-city/lakeforest-mall-rezoning

## Anchors

Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Lord & Taylor, Hecht's, Woodward & Lothrop

## Parties

- Simon Property Group — owner (2003–2011)
- Simon Property Group — owner (from text) (2003–2011)
- WRS — developer (2026–)
- Taubman Centers — original_developer (1978–)
- Taubman Centers — owner (1978–1998)
- Taubman Centers — owner (from text) (1978–1998)
- GM Pension Trust — owner (1998–2003)
- GM Pension Trust — owner (from text) (1998–2003)
- U.S. Bank — owner (2018–2019)
- U.S. Bank — owner (from text) (2018–2019)
- WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments — developer (2020–)
- WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments — owner (2019–)
- Five Mile Capital Partners — owner (2017–2019)

## Timeline

- 1978: Opened (Wikidata)
- 1978: Opened
- 1998: Sold to GM Pension Trust
- 2003: Purchased by Simon Property Group
- 2011: Simon defaulted on mortgage
- 2017: Sold at auction for $19.1 million
- 2019: Purchased by WRS Inc. from U.S. Bank
- 2023: Closed to public
- 2025: Demolition began
- 2026: Retrofit: redevelop
- 2026: Demolition completed

## Deals and debt

- 2019 sale:  WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments ← U.S. Bank  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- 2017 sale: 19100000.0  ← Five Mile Capital  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- 2003 sale:  Simon Property Group ← GM Pension Trust  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- 1998 sale:  GM Pension Trust ← Taubman Centers  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Lakeforest Mall, informally known simply as Lakeforest, was an enclosed shopping mall located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The property has been owned by WRS Inc. Real Estate Investments as of July 2019, which is in the process of redeveloping the former site.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_closed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeforest_Mall
- Quoted support for zoning_change — https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/projects-in-the-city/lakeforest-mall-rezoning
- Planning research source — https://moco360.media/2023/04/19/lakeforest-mall-sketch-plan-and-rezoning-gains-unanimous-approval/
- www.bisnow.com — https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/construction-development/construction-underway-12b-lakeforest-mall-redevelopment-134101 (2026-04)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, MD." Record m-bfa5c9d5db, release 2026-10-20, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/gaithersburg-lakeforest-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_gaithersburglakeforestmall,
  title = {Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, MD},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/gaithersburg-lakeforest-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-bfa5c9d5db, release 2026-10-20, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-20}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.