The Mall in Columbia
The Mall in Columbia is the principal enclosed and mixed-use shopping center serving the planned community of Columbia, Maryland.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Mall in Columbia is a major shopping and entertainment center in the Town Center area of Columbia, Maryland, a planned community developed between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The property functions as Columbia's principal regional retail destination and is commonly referred to as the Columbia Mall. It combines an enclosed shopping mall with an outdoor restaurant and retail district known as The Plaza at The Mall in Columbia. The center was conceived as the commercial heart of Columbia by developer James W. Rouse. Rouse envisioned a large, two-level shopping center that would serve as a kind of Main Street for the new community. Howard Research and Development, Inc., a subsidiary of The Rouse Company, developed the property with Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Construction began in June 1970, and the mall opened on August 2, 1971. Its original department-store anchors included Hochschild Kohn and Woodward & Lothrop, alongside smaller retailers such as McCrory's and Lerner's. The anchor lineup changed repeatedly as department-store chains consolidated or failed. Hochschild Kohn was replaced by Hecht's in the 1970s; Woodward & Lothrop closed in the mid-1990s and was replaced by JCPenney in 1996; and Hecht's became Macy's in 2006. Major physical expansions followed, including a Sears wing and food court in 1981, a Lord & Taylor wing in 1998, and a Nordstrom wing in 1999. The property also underwent a late-1990s interior renovation intended to maintain its competitiveness against newer Maryland shopping centers. The Mall in Columbia has broadened beyond traditional department-store retail. AMC Theatres opened a 14-screen cinema in 2003, followed by The Cheesecake Factory in 2005. Beginning in 2013, the center developed The Plaza, an outdoor expansion that replaced the former L.L.Bean location with additional restaurants and shops; the second phase opened in 2014. Main Event Entertainment added a large bowling, arcade, and virtual-reality venue in 2018. The former Sears space was converted into a Lidl supermarket, which opened in 2021. The property has also announced or added contemporary specialty retailers such as Warby Parker, Under Armour, Showcase, and Kendra Scott, while an Uniqlo location was announced for the former Williams Sonoma space. Ownership has changed as the shopping-center industry consolidated. The Rouse Company and its portfolio were acquired by General Growth Properties in 2004. GGP subsequently became part of Brookfield Properties in 2018. The mall remains an active regional center with more than 200 specialty stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, and department-store or large-format anchors. Its importance is both commercial and civic: the center has hosted long-running community traditions, including the annual Poinsettia Tree display, and has drawn visitors from surrounding Maryland counties. The property has also received heightened public attention because of several serious shooting incidents in and around the mall in 2014, 2024, and 2025.
History
The Mall in Columbia was planned as the commercial centerpiece of Columbia, Maryland. James W. Rouse established Columbia as a planned community in 1967 and intended the Town Center shopping complex to provide a central gathering and retail district for the new city. The project was developed by Howard Research and Development, Inc., a Rouse Company subsidiary, together with Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Although architect Frank Gehry was initially considered for the mall, the project was ultimately assigned to Cope, Linder, & Walmsley. Construction began in June 1970. The mall opened on August 2, 1971, with Hochschild Kohn and Woodward & Lothrop as its principal anchors, supported by smaller stores including McCrory's and Lerner's. In its early period, the development was also associated with scrutiny of Howard Research and Development's energy-contract practices, after the company was investigated over bulk electricity purchases and tenant charges. The property expanded substantially in 1981 when a Sears wing, a food court, and approximately 370,000 square feet of additional space were added. During the 1990s the anchor mix changed as department-store companies encountered financial pressure. Woodward & Lothrop closed in late 1995 following bankruptcy, and JCPenney took over the space in July 1996. Hecht's added a third level in 1997. A Lord & Taylor wing and two parking garages opened in November 1998, while a Nordstrom wing opened in September 1999. A further wing near Hecht's added roughly 60,000 square feet and several dozen stores. The mall also replaced interior floors, lighting, skylights, and air-conditioning equipment by the end of the decade to compete with newer regional developments. The center continued shifting toward entertainment and dining in the 2000s. AMC Theatres opened a 14-screen cinema in 2003, and The Cheesecake Factory joined the property in late 2005. Federated Department Stores' acquisition of Hecht's led to the store's conversion to Macy's on September 9, 2006. Ownership changed in November 2004, when General Growth Properties acquired The Rouse Company and its portfolio. In 2007, a management decision to discontinue the mall's traditional Poinsettia Tree Christmas display prompted a local campaign involving several hundred Columbia residents. Public coverage, including reporting by The Washington Post, contributed to the display's restoration in 2008. The fountain associated with the display was later replaced by at-grade flooring in 2017. The mall's next major redevelopment phase focused on its exterior. L.L.Bean closed in May 2013, and construction began that year to replace the store with additional shops and restaurants. The first phase of the outdoor district opened in November 2013, and the second phase, a roughly 70,000-square-foot expansion branded The Plaza at The Mall in Columbia, opened in 2014. Security became a prominent issue after the 2014 shooting at Zumiez, the 2015 gunfire investigation involving the AMC area, and heightened police activity at Maryland malls during the 2015 Baltimore unrest. In 2017 Sears reduced its footprint to the first floor, and in 2018 Sears announced that the store would close. The space was subsequently converted for Lidl, which opened in 2021. Main Event Entertainment opened a large activity venue in May 2018. GGP became a Brookfield Properties subsidiary in August 2018. Lord & Taylor closed in August 2020 after the chain ceased operations during the COVID-19 period. The mall continued to refresh its tenant mix, announcing or adding retailers including Warby Parker, Under Armour, and Showcase by 2023. By July 2024, GNC was reported as the only original 1971 tenant still operating at the center. Kendra Scott later opened, and Uniqlo announced a future location replacing the former Williams Sonoma space. The property remains an active shopping and entertainment destination for Columbia and the wider Central Maryland region.
- 2023
New specialty retailers announced
[1]The mall announced or added retailers including Warby Parker, Under Armour, and Showcase.
- 2021
Lidl opens
[1]Lidl opened in the former Sears anchor space.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor closes
[1]Lord & Taylor closed its mall location after the chain ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
- 2018
Main Event opens and GGP joins Brookfield
[1]Main Event Entertainment opened a large bowling and games venue, while GGP became a subsidiary of Brookfield Properties.
- 2017
Center-court fountain removed
[1]The mall removed the large center-court fountain and replaced the area with at-grade flooring.
- 2014
The Plaza opens
[1]The second phase of a roughly 70,000-square-foot outdoor expansion opened as The Plaza at The Mall in Columbia.
- 2013
The Plaza expansion begins
[1]Construction began on an outdoor retail and dining expansion following the closure of L.L.Bean.
- 2008
Poinsettia Tree display returns
[1]Following community pressure after its cancellation, the mall restored its traditional holiday Poinsettia Tree display.
- 2006
Hecht's becomes Macy's
[1]The former Hecht's department store was converted to Macy's on September 9.
- 2004
General Growth Properties acquires the Rouse portfolio
[1]General Growth Properties acquired The Rouse Company and its shopping-center portfolio, including the Columbia mall.
Products and positioning
A regional shopping, dining, and entertainment destination serving Columbia and surrounding Central Maryland communities, with a mix of department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, and experiential venues.
Retail property · 1971
Enclosed shopping mall
The core property is a large enclosed regional shopping center with more than 200 specialty stores and multiple department-store or large-format anchors. Its tenant mix covers apparel, accessories, beauty, books, home goods, gifts, and everyday retail, supplemented by food-service and entertainment operators.
Outdoor retail and dining district · 2013
The Plaza at The Mall in Columbia
The Plaza is the mall's outdoor expansion, developed in phases after the closure of L.L.Bean. It adds restaurants, specialty retail, and pedestrian-oriented space to the traditional enclosed shopping-center format and forms an important part of the property's dining and lifestyle positioning.
Cinema · 2003
AMC Theatres
The AMC venue opened with 14 screens beside the mall's restaurant area, adding cinema programming and evening entertainment to the retail destination.
Family entertainment · 2018
Main Event Entertainment
The Main Event facility occupies approximately 50,000 square feet and includes 22 bowling lanes, arcade attractions, and more than 100 virtual-reality games. Its addition strengthened the mall's experiential and family-entertainment offer.
Supermarket · 2021
Lidl
Lidl occupies the former Sears anchor space. The supermarket broadened the property's customer mission beyond discretionary shopping and replaced a department-store format that had become less viable.
Controversies
2025
Shooting outside Lidl
Two teenage victims died after shots were fired outside the Lidl store. Police identified and arrested an 18-year-old suspect and characterized the incident as targeted.
2024
Food-court homicide
A 17-year-old was shot and killed in the mall food court in an incident described by police as a targeted attack. The reported suspect was later arrested in New York and returned to Maryland.
2015
Gunfire investigation involving AMC and other locations
Hong Young was arrested in connection with a series of shootings and gunfire incidents, including shots fired at the Columbia AMC theater building.
2014
Zumiez mass shooting
A 19-year-old gunman entered the Zumiez store, killed two employees, injured another person, and died by suicide. Police found substantial ammunition and improvised explosive devices near the body; the devices were safely disabled.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Save the Poinsettia Tree
Columbia, Maryland
Local residents organized after mall management decided not to continue the traditional Poinsettia Tree Christmas display. Several hundred community members supported the effort, and media attention helped turn the issue into a public dispute over local tradition.
Outcome. The display returned in 2008.
Brand decisions
2018
Add Main Event EntertainmentProduct launchBackground
The property was expanding its experiential and family-oriented uses beyond conventional retail.
Action taken
A 50,000-square-foot Main Event facility opened with bowling, arcade games, and virtual-reality attractions.
Aftermath
The venue became an additional entertainment anchor on the south side of the mall.
2018
Replace Sears with a supermarket formatStrategyBackground
Sears was reducing its traditional brick-and-mortar presence and announced the closure of its Columbia store.
Action taken
The former Sears anchor was prepared for Lidl, which ultimately opened there in 2021.
Aftermath
The space returned to active use under a grocery-led format, diversifying the mall's traffic base.
2013
Develop an outdoor retail and dining districtStrategyBackground
The mall sought to refresh its offer and replace the space associated with the closing L.L.Bean store.
Action taken
Management developed The Plaza in two phases, adding approximately 70,000 square feet of outdoor shops and restaurants.
Aftermath
The first phase opened in 2013 and the completed second phase opened in 2014.
2007
Reverse cancellation of the Poinsettia Tree displayOtherBackground
Management discontinued a longstanding holiday display, prompting a grassroots campaign and negative local publicity.
Action taken
Mall managers reinstated the display for 2008.
Aftermath
The decision demonstrated the civic significance of the property and its traditions to Columbia residents.
Recent events
- 2021
Lidl replaces the former Sears anchor[1]
Product launch
Lidl opened in the former Sears space after Sears announced the closure of its Columbia location as part of its broader reduction of traditional stores.
- 2018
Main Event Entertainment opens at the mall[1]
Product launch
A 50,000-square-foot Main Event facility opened on the south side of the property with bowling lanes, arcade attractions, and virtual-reality games.
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