Blue Hen Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in Dover, Delaware, later converted into the Blue Hen Corporate Center.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Blue Hen Mall was an enclosed shopping mall on Bay Road in Dover, Delaware. Developed and owned by the Jardel Company, it opened in August 1968 after construction began in September 1966. The project reportedly represented an expected investment of approximately $5 million and became the first enclosed shopping mall in Delaware. With about 479,533 square feet of gross leasable area and parking for approximately 6,000 vehicles, it was designed as a major regional retail destination for Dover and surrounding communities. The mall was named for Delaware's official state bird, the blue hen chicken. Its original layout followed a classic dumbbell plan, with JCPenney at the northern end and Woolco at the southern end. Woolworth occupied a prominent central position, and the center also included a single-screen movie theater, roughly 50 shops and restaurants, a mezzanine with professional offices, fountains, terrazzo floors, rockwork, tile mosaics, and a waterfall beneath the main staircase. A suspended four-sided blue-hen clock in the center court crowed on the hour and became one of the property's best-known visual features. A Delaware-history mural was installed near the principal entrance in 1976. The mall initially benefited from the movement of retail activity away from downtown Dover. JCPenney relocated from its downtown Loockerman Street store to become the principal anchor. Other early tenants included Woolco, Woolworth, Hess Apparel, Benjamins, Dannemann's Fabrics, Thom McAn, Thrift Drug, The Torch House, China Garden, and Dover Cinema. The cinema opened in March 1969 with a presentation of Gone with the Wind and was described as Delaware's first in-mall movie theater. It seated approximately 1,200 people and had a 60-foot screen. It closed around 1985 after competition from newer multiplexes. Blue Hen Mall's competitive position weakened after Dover Mall opened roughly four miles away in 1982. Sears had considered moving from downtown Dover to Blue Hen Mall but could not reach an agreement with Jardel, and instead became an opening-day anchor at Dover Mall. Woolco closed in early 1983 as the Woolworth-owned chain was shut down and was replaced by a Roses discount store. A $400,000 renovation announced in 1987 introduced blue neon signage and other updates, although the center court clock was removed that year. By the early 1990s, many inline spaces were occupied by local businesses, while only a limited number of national chains remained. The decline accelerated when JCPenney moved to Dover Mall in August 1993, Woolworth closed after the 1993 holiday season, and Roses shut its location in March 1994 during the chain's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In early 1995, the property was repositioned as the Blue Hen Corporate Center and Mall. Former anchor spaces were converted to offices and call-center facilities, including a 300-employee Aetna operation in the former JCPenney space and a NationsBank call center, later associated with Bank of America, in the former Roses space. The property changed ownership in 2006, when Blue Hen Properties sold it to Pettinaro Enterprises LLC for a reported $17.4 million. Pettinaro announced a renovation program and later completed exterior improvements including new entrances, windows, landscaping, signage, and repairs to original stucco. Bank of America's call center closed in 2006, and Aetna departed in 2009. The site increasingly became an office, government, medical, and service complex rather than a shopping destination. Bayhealth Medical Center became a major occupant. It leased the former JCPenney/Aetna area in 2013 for administrative, information-technology, orthopedic, and sports-medicine functions. In January 2022, Bayhealth announced completion of a $17 million acquisition of both original end-anchor spaces. The renovated former Woolco/Roses section opened in phases, with the final Bayhealth at Blue Hen outpatient facilities opening in October 2024. The complex also houses or has housed a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, the Social Security Administration, Delaware Department of Labor offices, a Women, Infants, and Children program, Fresenius Kidney Care, and other medical and public-service tenants. The interior corridors were closed to general public access during the 2020 pandemic, although portions of the original design remained. As a retail mall, Blue Hen Mall is defunct; the property continues in adaptive-reuse form as the Blue Hen Corporate Center.
History
Blue Hen Mall was developed by the Jardel Company on Bay Road in Dover, Delaware. Construction began in September 1966, and the enclosed center opened in August 1968. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in Delaware and initially became the dominant modern retail destination in the Dover area. Its arrival contributed to the movement of commercial activity away from historic downtown Dover, including the relocation of JCPenney from Loockerman Street. The mall occupied approximately 479,533 square feet of gross leasable area and provided about 6,000 parking spaces. Its architecture used a dumbbell configuration, with JCPenney at the north end and Woolco at the south end. Woolworth and Dover Cinema occupied substantial central areas. The interior included roughly 50 shops and restaurants, terrazzo flooring, rock walls, tile mosaics, fountains, a waterfall below the main staircase, and a mezzanine containing public facilities and professional offices. The center court featured a suspended blue-hen clock that produced a crowing sound each hour. In 1976, a multi-panel Delaware-history mural was installed in the main entrance hall. Dover Cinema opened in March 1969 as a 1,200-seat single-screen theater with a 60-foot screen and a separate children's cry room. It was Delaware's first movie theater located inside a mall. After multiplex competition developed in Dover during the early 1980s, the theater closed around 1985. Local musician Earle Teat later leased the space and reopened it in September 1987 as the Blue Hen Mall Concert Hall. After investing in sound and lighting improvements, Teat presented at least 30 concerts, including appearances by Tammy Wynette, Chubby Checker, Marty Stuart, and Johnny Cash with June Carter Cash. The venue eventually closed around 1998. The property's retail decline followed the opening of Dover Mall in 1982. Sears had explored a move to Blue Hen Mall but did not reach terms with Jardel, and instead opened at the newer center. Woolco closed in early 1983 and was replaced by Roses. A renovation announced in 1987 added blue neon accents and removed the center-court clock. During the early 1990s, the mall increasingly relied on locally owned stores and restaurants, although chains such as GNC and Radio Shack remained for a time. A 1992 market survey found that Dover Mall attracted a larger share of regular Dover-area shoppers. JCPenney moved to Dover Mall in August 1993. Woolworth closed after the 1993 holiday season, and Roses closed on March 19, 1994, during its parent chain's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. With only limited retail remaining, the property was repositioned in early 1995 as the Blue Hen Corporate Center and Mall. The former JCPenney became an Aetna office for approximately 300 workers, while the former Roses space became a NationsBank call center that was later associated with Bank of America and employed approximately 270 people. Blue Hen Properties sold the property to Pettinaro Enterprises LLC in 2006 for a reported $17.4 million. Pettinaro announced a $10 million renovation plan and later upgraded the exterior with new entrances, windows, landscaping, signage, and repaired stucco. Bank of America's call center closed in 2006, and Aetna left in 2009. The property thereafter concentrated on medical, government, office, and service tenants. Bayhealth leased the former JCPenney/Aetna space in 2013. In 2022 it completed a reported $17 million acquisition of both original end-anchor spaces. Renovation of the former Woolco/Roses section culminated in the October 2024 opening of Bayhealth at Blue Hen, an outpatient complex. Other occupants have included the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, Delaware labor and public-health offices, and Fresenius Kidney Care. The site's retail-mall identity is defunct, but its building continues to operate as an adapted corporate and medical center.
- 2024
Bayhealth at Blue Hen opens
[1]The final renovated phase of Bayhealth's outpatient complex opens in the former Woolco/Roses space.
- 2013
Bayhealth becomes a major tenant
[1]Bayhealth leases the former JCPenney/Aetna area for administrative and clinical-support functions.
- 2006
Pettinaro acquires the property
[1]Pettinaro Enterprises LLC purchases the property and announces a major renovation program.
- 1995
Property becomes a corporate center
[1]The former shopping mall is rebranded as the Blue Hen Corporate Center and Mall, with large retail areas adapted for office and call-center use.
- 1993
JCPenney relocates
[1]JCPenney leaves Blue Hen Mall for a new location at Dover Mall, removing the property's leading anchor.
- 1987
Renovation and concert-hall conversion
[1]The mall announces a $400,000 renovation, while the former cinema is converted into the Blue Hen Mall Concert Hall.
- 1983
Woolco is replaced by Roses
[1]Woolco closes during the shutdown of the Woolworth-owned chain, and Roses later occupies the space.
- 1982
Dover Mall opens
[1]The opening of the nearby Dover Mall creates a stronger competing retail destination and begins Blue Hen Mall's long decline.
- 1976
Delaware-history mural installed
[1]A multi-panel mural depicting Delaware history is added to the main entrance hall.
- 1969
Dover Cinema opens
[1]The 1,200-seat Dover Cinema opens inside the mall, becoming Delaware's first in-mall movie theater.
Products and positioning
Originally positioned as Dover's principal enclosed shopping destination and a modern alternative to downtown retail, Blue Hen Mall later transitioned into a mixed-use corporate, government, and medical-services center after losing its retail anchors.
Shopping center · 1968
Enclosed retail mall
The original Blue Hen Mall provided an enclosed, climate-controlled retail environment with approximately 50 shops and restaurants. Its tenant mix included department stores, discount retail, apparel, shoes, pharmacy goods, fabrics, music, food, and entertainment. The center was designed to serve Dover and nearby Delaware communities and included approximately 479,533 square feet of gross leasable area.
Movie theater · 1969
Dover Cinema
Dover Cinema was a single-screen, 1,200-seat theater inside Blue Hen Mall. It opened in 1969 with a special presentation of Gone with the Wind and featured a 60-foot screen, stadium-style seating, indoor ticketing, convenient parking, and a separate cry room for families with young children. It closed around 1985 as newer multiplexes entered the Dover market.
Live entertainment venue · 1987
Blue Hen Mall Concert Hall
Earle Teat converted the former cinema into a concert venue in 1987, investing in new sound and lighting equipment. The hall held approximately 748 people and hosted at least 30 concerts, primarily in country music, including performances by Tammy Wynette, Chubby Checker, Marty Stuart, and Johnny Cash with June Carter Cash. It closed around 1998.
Office and services complex · 1995
Blue Hen Corporate Center
The post-mall property was adapted for offices, call centers, government agencies, healthcare providers, and service businesses. Major occupants have included Bayhealth Medical Center, the State of Delaware, the U.S. Social Security Administration, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, and Fresenius Kidney Care.
Outpatient healthcare center · 2024
Bayhealth at Blue Hen
Bayhealth's redevelopment of the former department-store anchor areas provides outpatient and support services including pulmonology, endocrinology, occupational health, walk-in medical care, laboratory draws, ECG services, physical therapy, and speech therapy. The final phase opened in October 2024.
Controversies
1992
Parking-lot sexual assault
Police reported that a woman was forcibly taken from the Roses parking lot and sexually assaulted after being held by multiple men.
1989
Assault in Woolworth restaurant restroom
A woman was assaulted, beaten, and robbed by a man hiding in a public restroom at the Woolworth restaurant. The perpetrator was arrested and convicted. A civil action against Woolworth, the mall, and its security company was settled out of court in 1995.
1980
Sexual assault and civil claim
A woman was attacked and abducted while leaving the mall. The assailants were later convicted and imprisoned. The victim subsequently sued mall-related owners, managers, theater interests, and a security company, alleging that suspicious conduct had not been adequately addressed.
Brand decisions
2022
Bayhealth acquires the original end-anchor spacesM&ABackground
Bayhealth had already occupied the former JCPenney/Aetna area and sought additional space for outpatient healthcare expansion.
Action taken
Bayhealth completed the acquisition of both original end-anchor spaces and began a major renovation of the former Woolco/Roses section.
Aftermath
The redevelopment culminated in the opening of additional Bayhealth outpatient facilities in October 2024.
Acquisition price. $17 million (Announced/completed in January 2022)
1995
Convert the mall into a corporate centerStrategyBackground
The center had lost JCPenney, Woolworth, and Roses, leaving only a small number of retail tenants and substantial vacant anchor space.
Action taken
The property was rebranded as the Blue Hen Corporate Center and Mall, and former anchor areas were converted into offices and a bank call center.
Aftermath
The site shifted from retail toward office, government, medical, and service uses, preserving the building through adaptive reuse.
1987
Renovate the aging mallStrategyBackground
The property sought to refresh its appearance and strengthen its competitiveness before its twentieth anniversary, amid growing pressure from newer retail facilities.
Action taken
Management announced a $400,000 renovation, added blue neon accents and new signage, and removed the center-court clock.
Aftermath
The improvements did not reverse the longer-term decline caused by anchor departures and competition from Dover Mall.
Recent events
- 2024
Bayhealth at Blue Hen outpatient phase opens[1]
Product launch
The final phase of Bayhealth's redevelopment opened in October 2024 with pulmonary, endocrine, occupational-health, walk-in, laboratory, ECG, physical-therapy, and speech-therapy services.
- 2022
Bayhealth acquires both original anchor spaces[1]
M&A · Other
Bayhealth announced completion of a $17 million acquisition covering the former JCPenney and Woolco/Roses end-anchor spaces, supporting further medical redevelopment.
- 2013
Bayhealth leases former JCPenney space[1]
Other
Bayhealth Medical Center leased the former JCPenney and Aetna area for administrative, information-technology, orthopedic, and sports-medicine functions.
- 2006
Blue Hen property sold to Pettinaro Enterprises[1]
M&A
Blue Hen Properties sold the property to Pettinaro Enterprises LLC, which announced a substantial renovation and continued the site's conversion from retail mall to office and service center.
- 1995
Blue Hen Mall begins major repositioning as a corporate center[1]
Other
After losing its principal retail anchors, the property was rebranded as the Blue Hen Corporate Center and Mall, with former department-store areas converted to office and call-center uses.
- 1982
Dover Mall opens and intensifies competition for Blue Hen Mall[1]
Other
The opening of Dover Mall approximately four miles north of Blue Hen Mall shifted shopper traffic and marked the beginning of a prolonged competitive decline for the older center.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/blue-hen-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled