# Laurel Mall

Laurel, MD · mall · tier: curated · Retrofit Atlas record `m-652305fc0e` · release 2026-10-20

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/prince-georges-county-laurel-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-652305fc0e.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-652305fc0e.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-652305fc0e

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | built | reported · derived from authors' map (retrofit year present) |
| Strategy | redevelop | reported · authors' map |
| New use | housing, healthcare, retail, entertainment, other | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | • Redevelopment: mixed use, new streets | reported · authors' map |
| Opened | 1979 | reported · Wikidata |
| Closed | 2012 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2015 | reported · authors' map |
| Stores at peak | 120 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Shopco Inc. | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | General Growth Properties | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Zoning change | city site plan approval (zoning instrument not found) | documented · research |
| Public subsidy | TIF figures conflict: $16M (deadmalls, 2009) versus $8.5M (Greenberg Gibbons case study). | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Entitlement year | 2012 | reported · research |
| Planning notes | Approved by Laurel Mayor and City Council.  https://www.ggcommercial.com/media/v1/443/2023/07/Towne-Centre-at-Laurel-Case-Study-1-min.pdf | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_closed**: “The mall closed permanently on May 1, 2012” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Mall_(Maryland)
- **original_developer**: “The Laurel Centre Mall was developed by Shopco Inc.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Mall_(Maryland)
- **public_subsidy**: “Renovation plans were unveiled to the public on January 30, 2007, at Laurel City Hall.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Mall_(Maryland)
- **zoning_change**: “The project secured $8.5 million in Tax Increment Financing.” — https://www.deadmalls.com/malls/laurel_mall.html

## Anchors

JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Hecht's

## Parties

- Somera Capital Management — owner (from text) (2006–2011)
- Greenberg Gibbons Commercial (GGC) — owner (from text) (2011–2012)

## Timeline

- 1969: Montgomery Ward store opened as stand-alone
- 1979: Opened (Wikidata)
- 1979: Mall opened
- 1981: Hecht's added as third anchor
- 1991: Mall received $2 million face lift and update
- 2001: Montgomery Ward went out of business
- 2002: JC Penney vacated the mall
- 2006: Sold to Somera Capital Management for $31 million
- 2007: Renovation plans unveiled to public
- 2011: GGC took partial ownership and began managing mall
- 2012: Mall closed permanently
- 2015: Retrofit: redevelop

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

Laurel Mall was a shopping mall located on the west side of U.S. Route 1 in Laurel, Maryland. The mall opened on October 11, 1979 and connected two pre-existing structures – the freestanding Montgomery Ward on its south side and Laurel Shopping Center to the north. The mall closed permanently on May 1, 2012.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Mall_(Maryland)

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_closed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Mall_(Maryland)
- Quoted support for zoning_change — https://www.deadmalls.com/malls/laurel_mall.html
- Planning research source — https://www.ggcommercial.com/media/v1/443/2023/07/Towne-Centre-at-Laurel-Case-Study-1-min.pdf
- Retrofitting Suburbia Interactive Mall Map (ArcGIS web map ce33ab26…) — https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=ce33ab2637374aab862b8a23847f620f (2021-01-20)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Laurel Mall, Laurel, MD." Record m-652305fc0e, release 2026-10-20, tier curated. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/prince-georges-county-laurel-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_princegeorgescountylaurelmall,
  title = {Laurel Mall, Laurel, MD},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/md/prince-georges-county-laurel-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-652305fc0e, release 2026-10-20, tier: curated. 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.