The fifty-eight year old shopping center is being demolished for a rebrand and rebuild.
Rory Patterson
Staff writer
First opened in 1965, Landmark Mall remained a landmark of Alexandria for over 50 years. The mall officially closed its doors in early 2017. The redevelopment of the site was approved by the City Council in the summer of 2021. Demolition of the mall began in May of 2022 with many locals gathered to witness the first swing of the wrecking ball on the site. Reinvention and construction are nothing new to Landmark Mall, beginning as an outdoor mall in the 1960s, to in 1990 when the mall was turned into the multi-floor indoor shopping center the public knew it as, up until its closure.
Steered by the Foulger-Pratt development group, on-site construction of the “WestEnd” is scheduled to begin “as early as” this year. “WestEnd”, the name chosen for the 52 acres of land which was once the site of Landmark Mall, will be populated by residential, retail, and office space; as well as a park, a transit hub, and the relocated Inova Alexandria Hospital (currently on Seminary Road). Though originally there was discussion of “a possible new school location” being built on the land as said by Alexandria City Council member John Chapman. “We need space…” said Chapman in regard to the construction of new ACPS school buildings. Chapman went on to say that the idea of building a new school location was “thrown out” quickly as the developer was not interested in turning over that much land to the city. Chapman also said that until the Inova organization reached out and displayed interest in relocating their Alexandria branch to the site, the progress on the development of the area was stuck “…in limbo”.
With nearing a billion dollars in investments made by the Inova Health system the hospital will have over 2000 working healthcare professionals, expand the size of the present emergency room, and include the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. The hospital is expected to open its doors to the public in 2028, and until then, the Inova Alexandria Hospital will continue to operate on Seminary Road. Once the new hospital is open with all its services fully accessible, demolition of the Seminary Road location will begin with the goal of constructing townhouses on the newly cleared land.
In total, the three residential buildings will have a combined number of 1,117 units, 45 of which are designated as affordable housing. One of the residential buildings will span two blocks and be connected across these blocks by a sky bridge. The transit hub which opened in May of 2022 is built for commuters and will allow residents of the “WestEnd” to catch both the DASH and Metrobus.
The “WestEnd” can be expected to greatly expand Alexandria’s population and attractions with Mayor Justin Wilson telling NBC4 Washington the development is“An incredible step for the city of Alexandria.” The team behind the “WestEnd” promises that the WestEnd will be “a welcoming, inclusive, inviting place for people and businesses to thrive.” The end of Landmark Mall after over 50 years has been met with mixed emotions by many long-time Alexandrians. Councilman Chapman who grew up in Alexandria recalled many fond memories of spending time at Landmark Mall in his childhood and reflected that himself and other long-time locals are “excited about the future but will definitely miss the childhood and teenage years spent at the mall.”
Featured photo courtesy of ABC 7 News
