Harford Mall
Harford Mall in 2009 | |
| Location | Bel Air, Maryland, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°31′33″N 76°21′29″W / 39.525859°N 76.358017°W |
| Address | 696 Bel Air Rd |
| Opening date | 1973[1] |
| Developer | Mid Atlantic Realty Trust |
| Owner | CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. |
| Stores and services | 34 [2] |
| Anchor tenants | 3 (2 vacant, 1 demolished) |
| Floor area | 505,372 sq ft (46,950.6 m2)[3] |
| Floors | 1 |
| Parking | 2,542 (including Annex) [3] |
| Public transit | Harford Transit bus: 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 3 |
| Website | www |
The Harford Mall is a shopping mall owned by CBL & Associates Properties that is located near the junction of Maryland Route 24 and U.S. Route 1, about 32 miles (51 km) north of Baltimore, in Bel Air, Maryland, United States.[3] It is the only shopping mall in Harford County, Maryland. The mall was built on the previous site of the Bel Air Racetrack.
History
Originally opened in 1973 by Mid Atlantic Realty Trust, it featured an E.J. Korvette and Montgomery Ward as its anchor stores.[4] Among the other original tenants were Waldenbooks, Friendly Ice Cream, Horn and Horn, and a multi-screen cinema. Korvette became Hutzler's then Hecht's, and finally Macy's. Another early tenant was an F.W. Woolworth Company store in center court. Sears replaced Montgomery Ward. The Harford Mall was purchased by CBL & Associates Property, Inc. in 2003 for $71 million. Hochschild Kohn was opened during the first expansion of the mall. The store opened in October 1977.[5] This later became the original food court.
During the period of 2006 and 2007, the mall underwent an extensive renovation. The center court and the interior of the mall were remodeled, and the exterior was also given a facelift. The original indoor food court was entirely removed in favor of additional retail space. A new "food court" was constructed outside the mall, at which time new restaurants such as Qdoba, Bonefish Grill, Five Guys, Vaccaros Italian Pastries, and Red Robin moved into the outdoor spaces. In addition, more upscale retailers, such as Hollister (which replaced the former KB Toys and later closed) and American Eagle were also added.[6] In 2013, the mall lost longtime tenant Old Navy, which moved to the new Boulevard at Box Hill shopping center in Abingdon, Maryland and was then replaced by The Shoe Department Encore,[7] and Payless Shoe Source announced plans to close its Harford Mall location in February 2019 as part of the chain's bankruptcy.[8] In the same month, Charlotte Russe also announced plans to close its Harford Mall location along with many other stores across the country.[9] Other eateries located inside the mall include The Greene Turtle, Friendly's, and Pretzel Twister. In early February 2020, Sears, one of Harford Mall's two anchor stores, closed its location at the mall, as a result of its bankruptcy filing.[10]
The mall is located across from what is known as the Harford Mall Annex, which is a section of retail stores located directly across the street from the mall on Boulton Street, facing one of the entrances to Macy's. Stores located in the Annex include Office Depot, Dollar Tree, PetSmart and Banfield Pet Hospital, and Best Buy. These are listed in the directory on Harford Mall's website, although they are not physically located inside the mall.[11]
On January 9, 2025, it was announced that Macy's store would be closing as part of a plan to close 66 stores nationwide. The store closed in March 2025, leaving the mall with no anchors, cementing its status as a dead mall.[12]
Former anchors
- Montgomery Ward (replaced by Sears, 1973–2001)
- Sears (replaced Montgomery Ward, 2001–2020, store demolished 2022)
- Montgomery Ward Auto Center (replaced by Hecht's Furniture Gallery, closed 2001)
- Hecht's (acquired by Macy's in 2006)
- Hecht's Furniture Gallery (replaced Montgomery Ward Auto Center, 2001–2006)
- Macy's (acquired Hecht's, 2006–2025)
- Macy's Furniture Gallery (acquired Hecht's Furniture Gallery, 2006–2025)
Shops at Harford Mall
The former Sears department store site, which ceased operation in early 2020, has been undergoing a significant repositioning as part of the mall’s larger, multi-phase redevelopment plan. The Sears store, which originally opened in 2001 (replacing the Montgomery Ward department store that anchored the mall since 1973), was demolished beginning in early 2022, with the demolition completed by March 2022.
The clearance of the Sears structure initiated the first phase of the development, which involved building a new retail structure on the parcel. This development is an open-air shopping complex situated immediately adjacent to the existing mall building, designed to be a distinct shopping destination that is not physically connected to the enclosed mall itself.[13] This first phase, which involved the former Sears footprint, was approved to accommodate a major grocer. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting the cancellation of plans, the former Sears site was specifically rebuilt to accommodate an Amazon Fresh grocery store, which is expected to move into the space in 2026.[13][14]
This grocery store addition is part of a larger revitalization effort. The overall mall project, which includes plans for residential units and the subsequent redevelopment of the former Macy’s property (Phase 3), is planned to include a second major grocery anchor. Developers have confirmed that the new open-air complex will also feature a Whole Foods Market as a primary tenant.[14] This Whole Foods store is expected to occupy a 35,600-square-foot building on the redeveloped Macy's parcel, which will feature four additional retail buildings and restaurants, including confirmed tenants like THB Bagelry and Deli.[15] This combined redevelopment strategy aims to diversify the property's appeal by mixing high-demand grocery, specialty retail, and quick-service food options.
References
- ^ "CBL Buys Harford Mall". Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- ^ "Harford Mall Store Listing". Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Harford Mall Fact Sheet". Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ Benjes, Robin. "October: Christmas comes early for county employees". Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ^ "Hochschild Kohn - ( Bel Air Md) | & Co. Branches : Harford Mall". Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ "Harford Mall sports new look, new stores after renovation". Washington Examiner. September 20, 2007.
- ^ Zumer, Bryna (May 16, 2013). "Old Navy leaving Bel Air for Abingdon; shoe store coming to Harford Mall". baltimoresun.com.
- ^ "Payless ShoeSource closing all 2,100 U.S. stores, starting liquidation sales Sunday". USA TODAY.
- ^ "Bel Air Charlotte Russe Store Slated For Closure: Report". Bel Air, MD Patch. February 5, 2019.
- ^ "Sears Closing Store in Harford Mall". November 20, 2019.
- ^ "Mall Directory". Harford Mall.
- ^ Tyko, Kelly (January 9, 2025). "Macy's closing 66 more stores in 2025. See the closure list". Axios. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
- ^ a b lgibson84 (July 18, 2025). "Open-air shopping center at Harford Mall approved by Bel Air planning officials". Business Resource Network Harford. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b lgibson84 (June 6, 2025). "Developers confirm Whole Foods coming to Harford Mall". Business Resource Network Harford. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ lgibson84 (September 29, 2025). "THB Bagelry and Deli coming to join the Harford Mall's redevelopment". Business Resource Network Harford. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)