The Gallery at Military Circle
A formerly enclosed shopping mall in Norfolk, Virginia, known as The Gallery at Military Circle from 2002 to 2015.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Gallery at Military Circle was the branding used for Military Circle Mall, an enclosed shopping center in Norfolk, Virginia. The property opened in 1970 and became one of the region's established retail destinations, combining department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment, and a hotel component. It was developed by The Rouse Company through Rouse-Military Circle, Inc., together with Harvey Lindsay Jr. The mall's original and subsequent anchor tenants reflected the changing American department-store and shopping-center industries. Early occupants included J.B. Hunter, which later became Thalhimer's, JCPenney, Smith & Welton, and Leggett, a Belk division. A Sheraton hotel and a six-screen AMC multiplex also formed part of the initial complex. Smith & Welton closed in 1990, while Thalhimer's was converted to Hecht's in 1992 and later to Macy's in 2006. Leggett's former space was eventually redeveloped for cinema use. A major renovation in 1996 added skylights, refreshed mall entrances, and a 600-seat food court. After Belk vacated the former Leggett location in 1998, the property underwent another redevelopment program under then-owner Urban Retail. Sears opened in the former Smith & Welton space in 1999, and an 18-screen Cinemark theater opened in 2000 in the former Leggett/Belk area. These changes attempted to maintain the mall's relevance as retail competition and consumer preferences evolved. Thor Equities acquired the mall in 2002 and renamed it The Gallery at Military Circle. The new identity accompanied continuing renovation work, although the property retained its historical association with Military Circle Mall. Ross Dress for Less opened in 2004 in space formerly occupied by McCrory. Over time, however, several smaller tenants and major anchors departed. KB Toys, Suncoast, and Waldenbooks closed around the late 2000s, Sears left in 2012, and JCPenney was announced for closure in 2014. Macy's also closed its location in early 2016. The property encountered increasing financial and strategic difficulties. The entire Gallery at Military Circle property was reported to be in foreclosure in April 2015 and was offered at public auction in July of that year, although the mall did not change hands through that auction. The Gallery name was subsequently discontinued, with the property again generally identified as Military Circle Mall. In the 2020s, the remaining complex was largely vacant or used by nontraditional occupants, including Ross Dress for Less, Optima Health, and Movement Mortgage. The Cinemark 18 theater permanently closed in 2021, and the mall closed to the public on January 31, 2023. The former enclosed mall has been described as abandoned and slated for demolition, while proposals for a broader Military Circle redevelopment have included a large multipurpose arena and other mixed-use possibilities.
History
Military Circle Mall opened in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1970. The project was developed by The Rouse Company through its Rouse-Military Circle, Inc. subsidiary, in partnership with Harvey Lindsay Jr. Its original tenant roster included J.B. Hunter, JCPenney, Smith & Welton, Leggett, a Sheraton hotel, and a six-screen AMC movie theater. The center was designed as a conventional enclosed regional mall, with department stores serving as principal traffic generators and smaller specialty stores arranged along interior concourses. The tenant base changed substantially over the following decades. J.B. Hunter later became Thalhimer's, which was converted to Hecht's in 1992 and ultimately became Macy's in 2006. Smith & Welton closed in 1990. The Leggett store, operated as a division of Belk, later became vacant, and Belk left the former Leggett space in 1998. The original AMC theater in the center of the mall closed in the mid-1990s. A 1996 renovation introduced skylights, new entrances, and a 600-seat food court, reflecting the period's efforts to modernize enclosed malls and make them more attractive as social and leisure destinations. Urban Retail became involved in the property after the 1998 changes and pursued additional redevelopment. Sears opened in the former Smith & Welton space in 1999, restoring the chain's presence in Norfolk after an earlier local closure. In 2000, an 18-screen Cinemark multiplex opened in the former Leggett/Belk area. The theater provided a major entertainment component separate from the former AMC operation and helped broaden the mall's use beyond department-store shopping. Thor Equities acquired the center in 2002 and renamed it The Gallery at Military Circle. Renovation work continued under the new identity, although the property remained historically and commonly associated with Military Circle Mall. Ross Dress for Less opened in 2004 in space formerly occupied by McCrory. The mall nevertheless faced the wider structural pressures affecting traditional shopping centers, including department-store consolidation, competition from newer retail formats, changing consumer behavior, and the decline of specialty chains. KB Toys entered bankruptcy and closed its store in 2009, followed by the departures of Suncoast and Waldenbooks. Sears closed on March 28, 2012, as part of a nationwide closure program. JCPenney announced in January 2014 that the location was among 33 stores it would close; the Norfolk Economic Development Authority acquired the empty anchor building in December of that year, giving the city a direct interest in the site's future. Macy's announced its own closure in January 2016, and the store closed soon afterward. The property also experienced financial distress. In April 2015, the entire Gallery at Military Circle property was reported to have been placed under foreclosure. The mall was offered at public auction in a Norfolk court in July, but the auction did not result in a change of ownership. The Gallery name was later dropped, and the property was again generally referred to as Military Circle Mall. By the 2020s, the complex no longer functioned as a healthy conventional mall. Some occupants remained, including Ross Dress for Less, Optima Health, and Movement Mortgage, while several former anchor spaces were vacant, including those associated with Cinemark, Sears, and Macy's. The Cinemark 18 permanently closed in February 2021, and former patrons established a memorial outside the theater. The mall closed permanently to the public on January 31, 2023. It has subsequently been characterized as an abandoned shopping mall awaiting demolition. Various redevelopment discussions for the Military Circle area have included a proposed 20,000-seat multipurpose arena, but the available reference material does not establish that such a project was built or that a final redevelopment plan was implemented.
- 2023
Mall closes to the public
[1]Military Circle Mall permanently closes on January 31.
- 2021
Cinemark 18 closes permanently
[1]The mall's multiplex ends operations and is later commemorated by former patrons.
- 2016
Macy's closes
[1]Macy's closes its location during a national restructuring.
- 2015
Property placed under foreclosure and auctioned
[1]The mall property enters foreclosure proceedings and is offered at public auction without a reported ownership transfer.
- 2014
JCPenney closure announced
[1]JCPenney lists the location among stores scheduled to close; the Norfolk Economic Development Authority later acquires the vacant anchor.
- 2012
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes on March 28 as part of the chain's national store-reduction program.
- 2004
Ross Dress for Less opens
[1]Ross occupies space formerly used by McCrory.
- 2002
Thor Equities adopts The Gallery at Military Circle name
[1]Thor Equities acquires the mall and rebrands it as The Gallery at Military Circle.
- 2000
Cinemark 18 opens
[1]An 18-screen Cinemark multiplex opens in the former Leggett/Belk area.
- 1999
Sears opens
[1]Sears occupies the former Smith & Welton space.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center positioned historically as a convenient retail, dining, and entertainment destination in Norfolk. In its later years, the property shifted from a conventional multi-anchor mall toward a partially vacant redevelopment site with retail, office, and institutional occupants.
Shopping center · 1970
Enclosed mall retail space
The mall's core offering was leasable enclosed retail space arranged around interior concourses and anchored by department stores. It supported apparel, general merchandise, specialty retail, services, and food-court operations. The format was intended to provide shoppers with a climate-controlled regional destination rather than a single-store shopping experience.
Dining · 1996
Food court
A 600-seat food court was added during the 1996 renovation. It was part of the mall's effort to supplement conventional retail with dining and social activity, increasing the reasons for visitors to remain on site beyond individual department-store purchases.
Entertainment · 2000
Cinemark 18
Cinemark 18 was an 18-screen multiplex opened in 2000 in the former Leggett/Belk area. It became one of the property's principal entertainment attractions after the original six-screen AMC theater had closed. The theater permanently ceased operations in 2021.
Department stores · 1970
Department-store anchors
Over its history, the mall hosted major anchors including J.B. Hunter, Thalhimer's, Hecht's, Macy's, JCPenney, Leggett/Belk, and Sears. These stores supplied broad apparel, home, and general-merchandise ranges and were central to the mall's original regional-shopping proposition.
Brand decisions
2023
End of public mall operationsStrategyBackground
After the loss of most major anchors and the 2021 closure of Cinemark, the property no longer operated as a conventional regional mall.
Action taken
The mall permanently closed to the public on January 31, 2023.
Aftermath
The complex became an abandoned or redevelopment-oriented property, with demolition discussed in connection with future plans for the Military Circle area.
2015
Property offered through foreclosure auctionOtherBackground
The mall faced financial distress after years of anchor departures and weakening traditional-mall performance.
Action taken
The full property was placed under foreclosure proceedings and offered at a Norfolk court auction.
Aftermath
The auction did not produce a reported change in ownership, and the property continued toward vacancy and redevelopment rather than returning to stable enclosed-mall operation.
2002
Rebrand as The Gallery at Military CircleStrategyBackground
After acquiring the mall, Thor Equities sought to refresh the property's identity while continuing renovation work.
Action taken
The established Military Circle Mall name was replaced with The Gallery at Military Circle.
Aftermath
The Gallery name was used from 2002 to 2015, after which the property was again generally identified as Military Circle Mall.
Recent events
- 2023
Military Circle Mall closes to the public[1]
Other
The mall permanently closed to the public on January 31, ending its operation as an open enclosed shopping center.
- 2021
Cinemark 18 permanently closes[1]
Other
The mall's 18-screen Cinemark theater ceased operations permanently. Former patrons later created a memorial in front of the theater.
- 2016
Macy's announces closure of its Military Circle store[1]
Other
Macy's announced the location's closure as part of a large national restructuring program. The store closed in early 2016.
- 2015
The Gallery at Military Circle property enters foreclosure proceedings[1]
Bankruptcy
The entire Gallery property was reported to have been placed under foreclosure in April and was offered at public auction in July, although the auction did not transfer the mall to a new owner.
- 2014
JCPenney announces closure of its Military Circle store[1]
Other
JCPenney identified the location among 33 stores scheduled to close later in the year. The Norfolk Economic Development Authority purchased the vacated anchor property in December.
- 2012
Sears closes its Military Circle location[1]
Other
Sears shut its store on March 28 as part of a broader national program of store closures.
- 2004
Ross Dress for Less opens at the mall[1]
Product launch
Ross occupied space previously used by McCrory, adding a discount retail anchor to the changing tenant mix.
- 2002
Thor Equities renames Military Circle Mall The Gallery at Military Circle[1]
Other
Thor Equities acquired the shopping center and adopted The Gallery at Military Circle name while continuing renovation efforts.
Sources2 sources
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