Capital Plaza Mall
A former open-air regional shopping center in Landover Hills, Maryland, that operated from 1963 until 2005.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Capital Plaza Mall was an open-air shopping center at the junction of Annapolis Road, Maryland Route 450, and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway in Landover Hills, Maryland. Developed between 1961 and 1963, it served communities in central Prince George's County and nearby parts of suburban Washington, D.C. The center opened on August 7, 1963, with 45 stores and a program of international-themed festivities inspired by the film Around the World in 80 Days. Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes officiated, and the opening included representatives from several countries and Miss Universe Ieda Maria Vargas of Brazil. The original tenant mix combined department stores, supermarkets, drugstores, specialty retailers, restaurants, entertainment, and professional services. Early occupants included S.S. Kresge, Kroger, People's Drug Store, Thom McAn Shoes, Lerner's, and Hot Shoppes. A cinema and professional building added services beyond conventional retail. The center was designed as a plaza rather than an enclosed mall, with illuminated fountains, landscaping, benches, and pedestrian areas. Its location on major roads and its bus connections made it accessible to residents of Bladensburg, Landover, Hyattsville, Cheverly, New Carrollton, Lanham, and other nearby communities. Capital Plaza was an important retail destination in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was one of the principal shopping centers in central Prince George's County. Its competitive position weakened after the opening of Landover Mall in the 1970s. The decline was gradual, and operators attempted to maintain traffic through changing tenants and attractions. A Trailways bus station operated at the center during the late 1970s and 1980s. Food and snack tenants, including Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon, were later added near the movie theater. The property's larger retail attractions included Montgomery Ward and an anchor that changed from Memco to Hechinger. The center's deterioration accelerated around the turn of the century. Hechinger and Montgomery Ward, the parent companies of two major anchor operations, entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings between 1999 and 2000. Both subsequently closed more than 100 stores, including their Capital Plaza locations, by the end of 2000. Smaller tenants also departed, leaving much of the property vacant. Capital Plaza Mall closed in 2005 under owner Nellis Corporation and was demolished in 2007. The redevelopment of the site centered on a Walmart store, which opened in March 2007. The store was notable as the first Walmart inside the Capital Beltway and reportedly drew more than 11,000 job applicants for 330 positions. The surrounding property retained or later added several freestanding businesses, including a McDonald's, United Bank, an international supermarket, Royal Farms, Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The UniverSoul Circus, which had used the mall area as an attraction during the mall's later years, continued to stage events on portions of the redeveloped site. Although the mall itself is defunct, the name Capital Plaza remains associated with the commercial area, and historic signage survived for years after demolition.
History
Capital Plaza Mall was conceived during the expansion of suburban retail in Prince George's County, Maryland. Construction took place between 1961 and 1963 at the intersection of Annapolis Road and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway in Landover Hills. The site was positioned to draw customers from Bladensburg, Landover, nearby communities, and selected neighborhoods in the Washington metropolitan area. Unlike a fully enclosed shopping mall, it was planned as an open-air plaza, with fountains, trees, benches, and illuminated public areas forming part of the customer experience. The center opened on August 7, 1963. Its opening program used Around the World in 80 Days as a theme and included representatives from approximately a dozen countries. Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes participated in the ceremony, which also featured Miss Universe Ieda Maria Vargas of Brazil. The original complex contained 45 stores, including S.S. Kresge, Kroger, People's Drug Store, Thom McAn Shoes, and Lerner's. It also included a Hot Shoppes drive-in restaurant, a movie theater, and a professional building. The combination of shopping, food, entertainment, and services made Capital Plaza a significant destination in central Prince George's County. Transportation helped support the center during its early decades. The mall was directly accessible by automobile from Maryland Route 450 and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway, while local bus routes along Annapolis Road connected it with a broad set of communities. During the late 1970s and 1980s, a Trailways bus station operated at the property. The plaza also competed with neighboring commercial destinations that included other restaurants, shoe and clothing stores, and supermarkets. Before the development of newer regional centers, Capital Plaza was one of the main shopping locations in the area, alongside Prince George's Plaza. Its competitive position changed after Landover Mall opened in the 1970s. Capital Plaza entered a prolonged decline as newer retail formats and competing centers attracted shoppers. The property continued to change its tenant mix. Montgomery Ward became one of its principal anchors, while another large store opened as Memco in 1982 and later became a Hechinger home-improvement store. During the late 1980s, Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon opened near the movie theater. The UniverSoul Circus also used the mall and its parking areas as a recurring attraction in an effort to bring visitors to the property. The most serious deterioration occurred around 1999–2000. Hechinger and Montgomery Ward each entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, and both parent companies closed more than 100 stores. Their Capital Plaza locations were among those lost by the end of 2000. With the anchors gone, smaller tenants progressively vacated the center. By 2005, most of the remaining shops had closed or relocated. Nellis Corporation then closed the mall. The property was subsequently leased for redevelopment by Walmart. The mall was demolished in 2007, and a Walmart store opened in March of that year. The store was described as the first Walmart inside the Capital Beltway and attracted more than 11,000 applications for 330 jobs. The site evolved into a collection of freestanding commercial uses rather than a replacement enclosed mall. Existing or later businesses included McDonald's, United Bank, an international supermarket, Royal Farms, Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The former Hot Shoppes building remained vacant for many years before being demolished in 2015. The UniverSoul Circus continued to use part of the property for events, while surviving signs and the Capital Plaza name preserved a visible link to the former shopping center.
- 2023
Additional restaurant development
[1]Chick-fil-A and Chipotle Mexican Grill opened new locations on the redeveloped property.
- 2020
Further commercial redevelopment
[1]Royal Farms and additional food and beverage retailers expanded the post-mall commercial site.
- 2015
Hot Shoppes building removed
[1]The long-vacant former Hot Shoppes building was demolished.
- 2007
Mall demolished and Walmart opens
[1]The former mall was demolished and replaced in part by a Walmart store that opened in March.
- 2005
Mall closes
[1]Nellis Corporation closed the property after most smaller tenants had departed.
- 2000
Anchor closures
[1]Hechinger and Montgomery Ward closed their Capital Plaza stores following corporate bankruptcy-related retrenchment.
- 1982
Large anchor changes identity
[1]A large store that opened as Memco later became a Hechinger home-improvement anchor.
- 1970
Competition from Landover Mall begins
[1]The opening of nearby Landover Mall marked the beginning of Capital Plaza's long-term competitive decline.
- 1963
Grand opening
[1]Capital Plaza opened on August 7 with 45 stores, a cinema, a professional building, and an international-themed celebration.
- 1961
Construction begins
[1]Development began on an open-air regional shopping center intended to serve central Prince George's County and surrounding Washington-area communities.
Products and positioning
A convenient, automobile- and transit-accessible community shopping center serving central Prince George's County and nearby Washington-area neighborhoods. Its original open-air design emphasized a landscaped plaza environment rather than an enclosed regional mall format.
Shopping center · 1963
Capital Plaza retail center
The core offering was a multi-tenant open-air shopping center combining department stores, grocery and drug retail, apparel, footwear, restaurants, entertainment, and professional services. Its landscaped plaza format included fountains, trees, benches, and pedestrian areas, distinguishing it from enclosed malls of the period.
Entertainment venue · 1963
Capital Plaza movie theater
A movie theater formed part of the original complex and helped broaden the center's appeal beyond shopping. Later food tenants such as Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon were located near the theater.
Professional services · 1963
Capital Plaza professional building
The original development included a professional building, adding office and service functions to the retail and entertainment uses located elsewhere in the plaza.
Redeveloped retail property · 2007
Post-mall Capital Plaza commercial site
After demolition, the property became a dispersed commercial area anchored in part by Walmart and supplemented by restaurants, banking, grocery, fuel, and convenience-oriented retail. The current site retains the Capital Plaza name even though the original mall no longer exists.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990UniverSoul Circus attraction
United States
The UniverSoul Circus used the mall area and its parking facilities as an attraction intended to generate additional visits during the center's period of decline.
Outcome. The circus continued using portions of the site after the mall was demolished.
- 1963Around the World in 80 Days opening celebration
United States
The grand opening used the popular film Around the World in 80 Days as its theme and presented representatives from multiple countries, creating a highly publicized international-style launch for the new shopping center.
Outcome. The event established Capital Plaza as a prominent new attraction in Prince George's County.
Brand decisions
2007
Redevelop the property for WalmartM&ABackground
The closed mall no longer supported a viable multi-tenant retail operation, while Walmart sought a location inside the Capital Beltway.
Action taken
The site was leased by Walmart, the former mall was demolished, and a Walmart store opened in March.
Aftermath
The property shifted from an enclosed-style regional shopping destination to a freestanding retail and restaurant cluster.
2005
Close the declining mallStrategyBackground
The center had lost both major anchors and nearly all of its smaller tenants after years of competition from newer shopping centers and anchor-company retrenchment.
Action taken
Owner Nellis Corporation closed Capital Plaza Mall and the property moved toward redevelopment.
Aftermath
The mall was demolished in 2007 and replaced in part by a Walmart-led commercial site.
Recent events
- 2023
Chick-fil-A opens at the redeveloped site[1]
Product launch
A Chick-fil-A restaurant opened on another pad site in January, adding to the post-mall commercial development.
- 2023
Chipotle adds a pickup-lane restaurant[1]
Product launch
A Chipotle Mexican Grill location with a pickup lane opened at the former mall property in October.
- 2020
New pad-site retailers expand the Capital Plaza area[1]
Other
Royal Farms opened at the former mall property in January, followed later in the year by additional retail and food-service tenants including Starbucks and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
- 2015
Former Hot Shoppes building is demolished[1]
Other
The long-vacant building associated with the former Hot Shoppes restaurant was demolished on August 10.
- 2007
Walmart opens on the former mall site[1]
Product launch · Other
Following demolition of the mall, Walmart opened a store on the property in March, generating substantial local employment interest.
- 2005
Capital Plaza Mall closes[1]
Other
After years of tenant departures and declining activity, Nellis Corporation closed the nearly vacant mall.
- 2000
Anchor-store bankruptcies accelerate Capital Plaza's decline[1]
Bankruptcy
The Chapter 11 bankruptcies of Hechinger and Montgomery Ward led to the closure of both Capital Plaza anchor locations by the end of 2000.
- 1963
Capital Plaza Mall opens as a major regional shopping center[1]
Other
The open-air shopping center opened on August 7 with 45 stores, a movie theater, a professional building, and an international-themed public celebration.
Sources1 sources
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