Crystal Mall
A former enclosed regional shopping mall in Waterford, Connecticut, later converted for industrial and office use.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Crystal Mall was a two-level enclosed regional shopping center in Waterford, Connecticut. Developed by New England Development, it opened on September 30, 1984, as the first major regional mall serving the southeastern Connecticut area. The property was located near Hartford Turnpike, or Route 85, in a central retail district opposite Waterford Commons, an open-air shopping center. Its primary trade area included Waterford, Stonington, Norwich, Groton, New London, and surrounding communities, with a trade population reported at approximately 296,161 people. At its largest, the mall contained about 782,786 square feet of gross leasable area and approximately 110 stores, making it one of Connecticut’s larger shopping centers. The original anchor lineup consisted of Sears, JCPenney, Filene’s, and Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh was converted to Macy’s in 1996 as part of broader department-store consolidation. The mall initially benefited from limited direct regional competition and placed pressure on smaller nearby shopping centers. Over time, however, changing shopping habits, department-store retrenchment, e-commerce, and competition from newer retail formats weakened its position. A substantial interior renovation took place in 1997, roughly thirteen years after opening. The project replaced the mall’s darker interior color scheme with a brighter design, remodeled the food court, and improved lighting and other fixtures. A large central chandelier that had been considered for removal was retained after shoppers expressed support for it. Despite the renovation, the property continued to receive criticism for its aging exterior and for a tenant mix that did not evolve quickly enough with changing consumer preferences. The surrounding retail district gained additional national tenants during the 2000s. A Target store opened outside the mall on October 8, 2000, and an Olive Garden restaurant opened nearby in 2004. Filene’s closed in 2006 after Federated Department Stores acquired the May Department Stores Company and consolidated duplicate department-store locations. The former Filene’s space was divided between Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond, both of which opened in early 2008. Buffalo Wild Wings added an in-mall restaurant in 2011. The decline of the anchor stores became increasingly visible after Sears closed in January 2019. Macy’s announced in January 2021 that its Crystal Mall store would close by March 21 of that year. The property was reported sold to a development firm in November 2021, and Simon Property Group subsequently placed it into special servicing before surrendering the property to its lender. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in January 2023 amid the retailer’s bankruptcy, while Christmas Tree Shops closed in August 2023 after its own bankruptcy. JCPenney, the last remaining traditional anchor, closed on May 25, 2024. The property then moved beyond conventional retail redevelopment. In 2025, General Dynamics Electric Boat announced plans to use the former Macy’s location for engineering, training, and laboratory functions supporting Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarine production. Electric Boat, whose Groton facilities are located less than six miles away, subsequently acquired most of the property from Namdar and later purchased the former Sears building. The announced plans envisioned thousands of jobs and the transformation of the former mall into an office and industrial campus. According to the supplied reference material, Crystal Mall permanently closed to retail shoppers on March 31, 2026, with structural work beginning in the former Sears building. Its history therefore spans the rise of enclosed regional malls, department-store consolidation, long-term retail decline, and adaptive reuse for defense-industry employment.
History
Crystal Mall was developed by New England Development and opened on September 30, 1984, in Waterford, Connecticut. The enclosed, two-level center was designed as a regional shopping destination for southeastern Connecticut and initially faced little direct competition at its scale. Its original department-store anchors were Sears, JCPenney, Filene's, and Jordan Marsh. The center's location near Route 85 placed it within a broader retail district that later included Waterford Commons and other commercial developments. The mall occupied approximately 782,786 square feet and reached a peak tenant count of about 110 stores. Its trade area included Waterford, Stonington, Norwich, Groton, New London, and neighboring communities. The center's early success affected nearby shopping centers, some of which later changed their formats or strategies in response to the mall's regional draw. Jordan Marsh became Macy's in 1996. In 1997, Crystal Mall received a major interior refurbishment intended to address its dated appearance. The renovation brightened the interior, remodeled the food court, and improved lighting and fixtures. A prominent chandelier was preserved because of its popularity with visitors. Although the interior was updated, the property's exterior and tenant mix continued to be viewed as increasingly old-fashioned. The surrounding retail area expanded during the following decade. Target opened outside the mall in 2000, and Olive Garden opened nearby in 2004. Filene's closed in 2006 after the acquisition of its parent company by Federated Department Stores led to the consolidation of overlapping department stores. The former Filene's space was subsequently divided between Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond, which opened in early 2008. Buffalo Wild Wings opened inside the mall in 2011. The mall's long-term decline reflected broader structural pressures on enclosed shopping centers. Sears closed in January 2019, and Macy's announced its departure in January 2021. The property was reported sold to a development firm in November 2021. Simon Property Group placed the asset into special servicing and later returned it to the lender in the context of continuing financial weakness at the property. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in January 2023 after its corporate bankruptcy, followed by Christmas Tree Shops in August 2023. JCPenney closed on May 25, 2024, eliminating the mall's last major anchor. The property's next phase was not a conventional retail revival. General Dynamics Electric Boat announced in 2025 that it intended to convert the former Macy's location into space for engineering, training, and laboratory operations related to submarine production. Electric Boat's principal Groton facilities are located less than six miles away, making the site strategically convenient for expansion. The company later acquired the former mall property in stages, including the former Sears building. Plans described in the supplied reference material called for a major office and industrial campus that could support approximately 4,000 to 5,000 jobs by the end of the decade. Crystal Mall reportedly closed permanently on March 31, 2026, ahead of structural work beginning in the former Sears building. The property thus moved from a regional retail role to planned defense-industry and workplace use.
- 2026
Retail operations end
[1]According to the supplied reference material, Crystal Mall closes permanently on March 31 ahead of planned structural conversion work.
- 2025
Electric Boat redevelopment announced
[1]General Dynamics Electric Boat announces plans to convert former mall space into an engineering, training, and laboratory campus.
- 2024
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney closes on May 25, leaving the mall without a traditional anchor.
- 2021
Macy's departs and ownership changes
[1]Macy's announces its closure, while the property is reported sold and later enters special servicing.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes in January, accelerating the loss of the mall's original department-store base.
- 2008
Replacement tenants open
[1]Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond open in the former Filene's space.
- 2006
Filene's closes
[1]Filene's closes after corporate consolidation involving Federated Department Stores and the May Department Stores Company.
- 2000
Target opens nearby
[1]A Target store opens outside the mall, adding a major retailer to the surrounding commercial district.
- 1997
Interior renovation
[1]The mall renovates its interior, food court, lighting, and fixtures while retaining its central chandelier.
- 1996
Jordan Marsh becomes Macy's
[1]The Jordan Marsh anchor is converted to Macy's as part of department-store brand consolidation.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall serving southeastern Connecticut, later repositioned as a redevelopment and employment site after the collapse of its traditional retail anchor base.
Enclosed regional shopping mall · 1984
Crystal Mall regional shopping center
Crystal Mall was a two-level enclosed shopping center of approximately 782,786 square feet. It combined department stores, specialty retailers, food-court services, restaurants, and seasonal merchants. At its height it contained roughly 110 stores and served a broad southeastern Connecticut trade area.
Department-store space · 1984
Former anchor department stores
The mall's anchor portfolio included Sears, JCPenney, Filene's, and Jordan Marsh, with Jordan Marsh later becoming Macy's. These stores supplied the large-format merchandise and regional destination traffic that supported the mall during its traditional retail period.
Home and seasonal retail · 2008
Former Filene's replacement space
After Filene's closed, its former anchor area was divided between Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond. The two tenants opened in early 2008 and broadened the mall's offering toward seasonal merchandise, household goods, furniture, and home accessories.
Brand decisions
2025
Conversion to an Electric Boat employment campusStrategyBackground
Following the departure of the mall's principal anchors and a prolonged period of retail decline, the property became a candidate for non-retail redevelopment.
Action taken
General Dynamics Electric Boat announced plans to use the former Macy's location and other portions of the property for engineering, training, laboratory, office, and industrial functions supporting submarine production.
Aftermath
Electric Boat acquired the property in stages, including the former Sears building. The planned campus was described as potentially supporting approximately 4,000 to 5,000 jobs by the end of the decade and ended the property's role as a conventional regional mall.
2007
Backfilling the former Filene's anchorStrategyBackground
The closure of Filene's created a large vacant department-store space after the retailer's parent company consolidated overlapping stores.
Action taken
The space was allocated to Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond, which opened in early 2008.
Aftermath
The move temporarily restored occupancy to the former anchor area but did not prevent the mall's later loss of major tenants.
1997
Interior modernizationStrategyBackground
After roughly a decade of operation, the mall's interior was considered dated and management sought to improve its appearance and visitor experience.
Action taken
Crystal Mall replaced its dark color scheme, remodeled the food court, and upgraded lighting and fixtures. The central chandelier was retained after shoppers expressed support for it.
Aftermath
The work refreshed the interior, although the property's exterior and tenant mix continued to face criticism in later years.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/crystal-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled