Country Club Mall
An enclosed regional shopping mall in LaVale, Maryland, serving communities across western Maryland and nearby parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Country Club Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in LaVale, Maryland, a suburb of Cumberland in Allegany County. Situated near Interstate 68 on Vocke Road, the property serves a broad rural and small-city trade area extending across western Maryland and into neighboring Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It is described as the only enclosed shopping mall within approximately 65 miles, giving it an important regional role despite the relatively modest population of its immediate market. The mall occupies a 64-acre portion of a larger 192-acre tract. Before development, much of the land was used for strip mining and a golf course. The strip mine was filled in 1979, and the shopping center was constructed in 1981 after public road investment improved access to the area and supported regional growth. That development contributed to a shift in local retail activity away from smaller Cumberland stores and toward the new suburban commercial center. At opening, the mall included Kmart, JCPenney, and Eyerly's. Eyerly's was later replaced by The Bon-Ton, while Sears joined the property approximately one year after opening. The mall expanded its retail footprint over time, reaching approximately 527,000 square feet by 2004 and about 600,000 square feet by 2013. Its tenant mix has changed substantially as department-store chains closed or retrenched. Kmart closed in 2002 and its space was replaced by a Walmart Supercenter in 2004. The Bon-Ton closed in August 2018, Sears closed in February 2020, and JCPenney closed around October 2020. The property includes approximately 60 retail units and seven vendor stands on the main concourse. Its principal anchors have included Walmart Supercenter, Ulta Beauty, Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas, and Rural King, alongside vacant former department-store spaces. Rural King began converting the former JCPenney area in 2025 and opened there on October 30, 2025. The mall's cinema is the largest movie theater in Allegany County. It operated as an AMC six-screen venue until 2011, after which WPA Theaters assumed management, expanded it to eight screens, and adopted the Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas name. Ownership and management have changed several times. Shopco Development Company developed the mall in 1981. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation acquired it in the late 1980s, followed by Compass Retail, Inc. in 1993. J.J. Gumberg Properties purchased the property in 1999 for a reported $32.4 million. The property was later acquired by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management. Namdar manages operations, while Mason oversees leasing. The mall remains an active commercial property whose role depends on maintaining anchor tenants, entertainment traffic, and regional convenience in a market with limited competing enclosed retail space.
History
Country Club Mall was developed on land in LaVale, Maryland, that had previously been used for strip mining and a golf course. The broader parcel covered approximately 192 acres, while the mall site itself occupied about 64 acres. After the strip mine was filled in 1979, Shopco Development Company of New York City built the shopping center, which opened in 1981. The project followed major state investment in a road serving the area and helped redirect commercial activity toward the LaVale corridor. The original tenant lineup included Kmart, JCPenney, and Eyerly's. Eyerly's was eventually replaced by The Bon-Ton, and Sears opened approximately a year after the mall's debut. The center expanded into a substantial regional property, measuring about 527,000 square feet by September 2004 and approximately 600,000 square feet by May 2013. Its location near Interstate 68 enabled it to draw customers from Allegany County and surrounding parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Ownership changed several times. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation acquired the property in the late 1980s, and Compass Retail, Inc. acquired it in 1993. In January 1999, J.J. Gumberg Properties purchased the mall for a reported $32.4 million in an auction-related transaction. The property was later acquired by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management. Namdar became responsible for operating the mall, while Mason took responsibility for overseeing leasing activity. The mall's anchor composition changed as traditional department-store chains contracted. Kmart closed in 2002, and Walmart opened a Supercenter in the former Kmart space in 2004. The Bon-Ton closed in August 2018 after its parent company announced the liquidation of its stores. Sears closed in February 2020 after being included in a nationwide closure plan. JCPenney also closed its store around October 2020. These departures left the mall more dependent on Walmart, Ulta Beauty, entertainment, and other specialty and service tenants. The cinema has undergone its own operational transition. AMC operated the venue as a six-screen theater known as AMC Country Club Mall 6 until July 2011. After AMC chose not to renew its lease, WPA Theaters assumed operation in August 2011, retained much of the existing staff and management, added two screens, and renamed the venue Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas. The theater is described as the largest movie theater in Allegany County. In 2025, Rural King began work on a store in the former JCPenney space. The store opened on October 30, 2025, restoring an additional large-format anchor to the property. The mall has also experienced tenant and facility pressures, including the reported closure of TJ Maxx on May 2, 2026, attributed to unresolved air-conditioning failures. Despite these changes, Country Club Mall continues to function as a regional retail and entertainment destination in a market with few nearby enclosed-mall alternatives. Public transportation connections include some Frostburg State University buses.
- 2026
TJ Maxx reportedly closes
[1]TJ Maxx reportedly closed on May 2 because of continuing air-conditioning failures.
- 2025
Rural King opens as a new anchor
[1]Rural King opened in the former JCPenney space on October 30.
- 2020
Sears and JCPenney depart
[1]Sears closed in February and JCPenney closed around October, leaving two major former anchor spaces vacant.
- 2018
The Bon-Ton closes
[1]The Bon-Ton location closed on August 29 following the chain's companywide shutdown.
- 2013
Mall reaches approximately 600,000 square feet
[1]The mall was reported at approximately 600,000 square feet in May 2013.
- 2011
Cinema changes operator and expands
[1]WPA Theaters replaced AMC as cinema operator and expanded the theater from six screens to eight.
- 2004
Walmart Supercenter replaces Kmart
[1]A Walmart Supercenter opened in the former Kmart space, becoming a major continuing anchor.
- 2002
Kmart closes
[1]Kmart left the property; its former space was later converted to a Walmart Supercenter.
- 1982
Sears joins the anchor lineup
[1]Sears opened at the mall approximately one year after the center's initial opening.
- 1981
Country Club Mall opens
[1]Shopco Development Company completed the enclosed shopping mall with Kmart, JCPenney, and Eyerly's as initial anchors.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving western Maryland and nearby communities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Shopping-center retail · 1981
Retail stores and specialty shops
The mall contains approximately 60 retail units and seven vendor stands. Its specialty-retail mix has included apparel, footwear, beauty, cards and gifts, household goods, general merchandise, and other convenience-oriented products. The tenant roster changes over time as national chains open, close, or relocate.
General merchandise · 2004
Walmart Supercenter
Walmart occupies the former Kmart space and provides a large-format general-merchandise and grocery offering. Its presence gives the property a high-frequency anchor capable of attracting customers beyond traditional enclosed-mall shopping.
Beauty retail
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty is identified as one of the mall's principal anchors. The format combines beauty products and related services, complementing the center's general merchandise, apparel, and entertainment tenants.
Cinema entertainment · 2011
Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas
The mall's eight-screen cinema is the largest movie theater in Allegany County. It evolved from the former AMC Country Club Mall 6 after WPA Theaters assumed operation in 2011 and added two screens.
Farm and rural retail · 2025
Rural King
Rural King occupies the former JCPenney anchor area. Construction began in 2025 and the store opened on October 30, 2025, adding a large-format farm, rural-lifestyle, hardware, and general-merchandise tenant to the mall.
Brand decisions
2026
TJ Maxx closure linked to air-conditioning failuresOtherBackground
The store reportedly experienced ongoing and unresolved air-conditioning problems.
Action taken
TJ Maxx reportedly closed its mall location on May 2, 2026.
Aftermath
The closure removed another tenant from the property; the long-term status of the space is not established in the supplied reference material.
2025
Rural King fills former JCPenney spaceProduct launchBackground
The closure of JCPenney around 2020 left a large anchor space vacant.
Action taken
Rural King began construction in the former JCPenney location and opened a new store on October 30, 2025.
Aftermath
The opening restored a large-format anchor tenant and broadened the mall's merchandise mix toward farm and rural-lifestyle retail.
2011
Cinema operator transition and expansionStrategyBackground
AMC ended its cinema operation after choosing not to renew its lease, creating an opportunity for a new operator.
Action taken
WPA Theaters assumed management, retained existing staff and managers where possible, expanded the venue from six screens to eight, and renamed it Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas.
Aftermath
The cinema continued as a major entertainment anchor and became the largest movie theater in Allegany County.
Recent events
- 2026
TJ Maxx closes after unresolved air-conditioning failures[1]
Other
TJ Maxx reportedly closed its Country Club Mall location on May 2, 2026, citing ongoing and unresolved air-conditioning failures.
- 2025
Rural King opens in former JCPenney space[1]
Product launch
Rural King began construction in the former JCPenney space in March 2025 and opened a new anchor store on October 30, 2025.
- 2020
JCPenney announces closure at Country Club Mall[1]
Other
JCPenney identified its Country Club Mall store for closure during a companywide restructuring plan involving approximately 154 locations. The store closed around October 2020.
- 2019
Sears announces closure of its mall location[1]
Other
Sears announced that the Country Club Mall store would close as part of a nationwide plan affecting 96 stores. The location closed in February 2020.
- 2018
The Bon-Ton closes its Country Club Mall store[1]
Bankruptcy
The Bon-Ton Stores announced the closure of all company stores, including its Country Club Mall location. The local store closed on August 29, 2018.
- 2012
Police investigate reported impersonation scam at JCPenney[1]
Other
A person reportedly posed as an undercover police officer and persuaded a 71-year-old man to hand over money at the JCPenney store. Mall surveillance helped identify the suspect.
- 2012
Deer enters Barbara's Hallmark store[1]
Other
A deer entered the Barbara's Hallmark store in December. Employees guided it toward a rear exit, and it left after knocking down several items; no injuries were reported.
- 2011
AMC ends operation of Country Club Mall cinema[1]
Other
AMC Theatres ended its operation of the mall's six-screen cinema after deciding not to renew its lease. The theater subsequently received a new operator and expanded format.
- 2011
WPA Theaters takes over and expands mall cinema[1]
Other
WPA Theaters assumed management of the cinema, increased the venue from six to eight screens, and renamed it Country Club Mall 8 Cinemas.
Sources1 sources
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