1980s
The Dover Mall opened on August 4, 1982,[7] becoming the second enclosed mall in Dover, following the 1968 opening of the Blue Hen Mall (now the Blue Hen Corporate Center). The Dover Mall was built to provide a home for Sears and other interested retailers, after Sears was unable to reach an agreement to build a store at the Blue Hen Mall.[8] The mall was originally anchored by Boscov's, Leggett, and Sears, and cost approximately $20 million to build.[9] The Boscov's store at Dover Mall was the first Boscov's location outside Pennsylvania.[10]
The mall's original design featured raised brick planters throughout the mall and "walkways spanning a bubbling fountain" in the center court.[7] The food court opened with several eateries including 1 Potato 2, The Great Hot Dog Experience, and Sbarro Pizza.[11] In December 1983, a six-screen movie theater opened at the mall, despite a lawsuit filed by the rival Blue Hen Mall. The theater was owned by Reading, PA-based Fox Theaters, which also owned the Dover Cinema at the Blue Hen Mall.[12] The lawsuit had claimed that a 1979 lease agreement prohibited the theater operator from opening any new locations within a 5 mi radius of its mall.[13]
In 1988, the mall's then-owners (Cadillac Fairview) built a new strip shopping center in front of the Dover Mall, parallel to the mall's south access road from U.S. Route 13. Named Dover Commons, the center added an additional 52,000 sqft of retail space to the property. Silo and Pier 1 Imports became the center's anchor tenants.[14]
1990s
On September 28, 1992, construction began on a 116,480 sqft addition onto the east side of the mall, to house a fourth anchor store.[15] JCPenney opened on August 4, 1993, after relocating from the struggling Blue Hen Mall, 4 mi south. The new location was 20,000 sqft larger than the previous Dover store, in addition to presenting a "richer, more upscale appearance".[16] The Dover Mall received its first renovation in 1993, removing the existing raised planters and fountains. A black and teal color scheme was introduced through new floor tiles and benches. Potted palm trees and additional skylights were also added. At the time of renovation, the mall held 95 stores and a 96.5% occupancy rate.[17]
On October 1, 1993, the Dover Mall became the second shopping mall in the state to ban smoking indoors, after a survey of 500 shoppers showed that nearly 80% were in favor of the ban.[18]
In 1995, the Silo store at Dover Commons closed suddenly due to the chain's failure.
2000s
Old Navy opened a 21,000 sqft store in the fall of 2000, filling space vacated by Lerner, Express, and Structure.[24]
The Mills Corporation acquired the mall from Cadillac Fairview in 2003. The Mills wanted to add approximately 500000 sqft of new stores and entertainment venues to the property, including an ice rink and skate park.[25] These plans never advanced beyond the early planning stage.[26]
The mall's Strawbridge's store was converted to Macy's on September 9, 2006, after Federated Department Stores purchased May Department Stores, the owner of Strawbridge's.
In April 2007, Simon Property Group acquired the mall along with the other Mills malls. It is Simon's only Delaware property[27]
2010s
In 2013, the Dover Mall added several new stores, including Forever 21[6] and a 53183 sqft Dick's Sporting Goods that opened on November 10, 2013.[29][30][31]
In 2017, the movie theater was rebranded to AMC Classic Dover 14 after Carmike Cinemas was purchased by AMC.
On May 3, 2018, Sears Holdings announced that the Sears location at Dover Mall would be closing as part of a plan to close 42 stores nationwide. Liquidation sales began on May 18, 2018 and the store closed in August 2018.[32] The Sears Auto Center closed by the end of 2018.
2020s
The Pier 1 Imports store in Dover Commons closed in early 2020 due to the chain's bankruptcy.[34] It was replaced by a Boot Barn in 2022.[35]
On October 15, 2020, Macy's announced that they would convert the Dover Mall Macy's store into a fulfillment center as online shopping spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] The Macy’s fulfillment center closed at the end of 2023, leaving an empty anchor space.
In 2022, Walmart opened a truck driving school at the mall, as part of an "Associate-to-Driver" pilot initiative. The program offers employees from Walmart stores and distribution centers the opportunity to earn a commercial driver's license (CDL) upon completion of a 12-week course. Graduates then become full-time, salaried drivers for Walmart.[37] Trucks used by the program are stored in the mall's parking lot.
