Westfield Meriden
A shopping mall in Meriden, Connecticut, originally opened as Meriden Square and later operated under the Westfield Meriden name.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Meriden Mall is a regional shopping center in Meriden, Connecticut. The property opened in 1971 as a two-level mall developed and owned by The May Department Stores Company. Its initial department-store anchors were G. Fox, a Connecticut-based May Company chain, and JCPenney. The original tenant mix combined department stores with national and regional specialty retailers, including Radio Shack, Spencer Gifts, Hickory Farms, Barricini Candy, Record World, Waldenbooks, CVS, Singer, Bakers Shoes, Chess King, Child World, and a Friendly's restaurant. The center's early design used a dumbbell-shaped plan with a central court and an incline ramp-escalator. The mall changed substantially during the 1990s. A 1993 expansion added a two-level wing anchored by Sears, along with a food court, changing the layout to a T-shaped configuration. The same year, G. Fox was converted to Filene's after May Company combined the G. Fox operation with its Boston-based Filene's chain. The Westfield Group acquired the property in 1997 and announced a larger redevelopment program. Completed in 1999, the approximately $38 million project added about 147,425 square feet, roughly 30 stores, a new cross-shaped floor plan, a multilevel parking garage, and Lord & Taylor as a new anchor. Anchor turnover became a defining feature of the mall's later history. Lord & Taylor closed in 2005 and was replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods. Filene's was converted to Macy's in 2006. JCPenney was replaced by Boscov's, which opened in November 2015 as the retailer's first Connecticut and New England location. Sears announced its closure in 2018, followed by Macy's in 2020. The former Macy's space was acquired by Yale New Haven Health in 2021 for redevelopment as a retail health center. Best Buy also announced a 2021 closure. In May 2020, Namdar Realty Group acquired the mall from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and began operating it on June 1 of that year. The property is now generally known as Meriden Mall rather than Westfield Meriden. Its current identity is that of a repositioning suburban shopping center with a smaller anchor base and an increasing emphasis on value-oriented retail, services, entertainment, sports, and adaptive reuse. Boscov's remains a principal department-store anchor, while later occupants have included TJ Maxx, Adventure Palace, and other specialty and service-oriented uses. Dick's Sporting Goods announced a 2024 closure, and later redevelopment plans referenced a furniture retailer and a basketball training facility. The mall is approximately 900,000 square feet and was once home to more than 140 shops.
History
Meriden Mall opened in 1971 as Meriden Square, a two-level shopping center developed and owned by The May Department Stores Company. The original building used a dumbbell-shaped plan with two major anchors: G. Fox, part of May's Connecticut operations, and JCPenney. Its specialty-store roster included national chains, local services, a pharmacy, a candy shop, a bookstore, a record store, apparel and footwear retailers, and a Friendly's restaurant. G. Fox and JCPenney also provided in-store dining, making the mall's early format strongly dependent on department-store traffic. The first major modernization occurred in 1993. A new two-level wing anchored by Sears expanded the center and added a food court, changing the plan from a simple dumbbell to a T-shaped configuration. During the same period, May Company consolidated its department-store brands, and the G. Fox location became Filene's. The property was acquired by the Westfield Group in 1997, beginning a new phase of investment and rebranding as Westfield Meriden. Westfield announced an ambitious renovation and expansion in 1997. The project added approximately 147,425 square feet and about 30 stores, introduced a cross-shaped floor plan, built a multilevel parking structure near Sears, and brought Lord & Taylor to the site as a new upscale anchor. Completed in 1999 at a reported cost of about $38 million, the project was intended to strengthen the mall's regional draw and diversify its department-store offer. The property subsequently experienced the anchor turnover common to many American enclosed malls. Lord & Taylor closed in 2005 and was replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods. Filene's became Macy's in 2006. JCPenney was later replaced by Boscov's, whose remodeled and expanded store opened in November 2015 as the chain's first Connecticut and New England location. Sears announced a closure in 2018, and Macy's announced the closure of its anchor in January 2020. Ownership changed again in 2020. Namdar Realty Group purchased the mall from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in May and assumed operating responsibility on June 1. The former Macy's space was purchased by Yale New Haven Health in October 2021 for conversion into a retail health center. Best Buy announced its closure in September 2021, attributing the decision to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dick's Sporting Goods announced a 2024 closure, further reducing the traditional anchor base. The mall has since been described primarily as Meriden Mall rather than Westfield Meriden. Its approximately 900,000-square-foot property is being repositioned around remaining department-store and discount retail, entertainment, food, healthcare, fitness, and other service uses. Later reported changes included the departure of TJ Maxx, the arrival of Furnish Cheap by Universal Hotel Liquidators in a former Dick's space, and construction plans for The Half Courts basketball training facility. These developments illustrate the property's transition from a conventional department-store-centered mall toward a mixed retail and services destination.
- 2021
Former Macy's space sold for health redevelopment
[1]Yale New Haven Health acquired the former Macy's anchor for a retail health center project.
- 2020
Namdar acquires the mall
[1]Namdar Realty Group acquired the property from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and began operations on June 1.
- 2015
Boscov's opens
[1]Boscov's opened its first Connecticut and New England store at the mall.
- 2006
Filene's becomes Macy's
[1]The Filene's department store was rebranded as Macy's.
- 2005
Lord & Taylor closes
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods replaced the departing Lord & Taylor anchor.
- 1999
Expansion and renovation completed
[1]The project added about 147,425 square feet, approximately 30 stores, a parking garage, and Lord & Taylor.
- 1997
Westfield acquires the property
[1]The Westfield Group acquired the shopping center and announced a major redevelopment program.
- 1993
Sears wing and food court added
[1]A two-level expansion added Sears and a food court, changing the mall's basic floor plan.
- 1971
Meriden Square opens
[1]The May Department Stores Company opened the two-level shopping center with G. Fox and JCPenney as its original anchors.
Products and positioning
A suburban regional shopping mall repositioning from a traditional department-store-led format toward value retail, services, entertainment, and adaptive reuse.
Department store · 2015
Boscov's
Boscov's is a full-line department store offering apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, beauty products, seasonal merchandise, and related consumer services. Its Meriden location replaced JCPenney and opened in November 2015 as the chain's first store in Connecticut and New England. It is the mall's principal traditional department-store anchor.
Family entertainment
Adventure Palace
Adventure Palace is an entertainment-oriented junior-anchor use within the mall, contributing family recreation and experiential activity to the property's tenant mix as the center diversifies beyond conventional apparel and department-store retail.
Furniture retail · 2026
Furnish Cheap
Furnish Cheap, identified as a brand of Universal Hotel Furniture Liquidators, occupies the former Dick's Sporting Goods space according to the supplied reference material. The retailer adds value-oriented furniture and furnishing merchandise to the mall's post-department-store repositioning.
Brand decisions
2021
Former Macy's anchor designated for health useStrategyBackground
Macy's had announced the closure of its anchor, leaving a substantial department-store space available for another use.
Action taken
Yale New Haven Health acquired the former Macy's space to redevelop it as a retail health center.
Aftermath
The transaction illustrated the mall's shift toward nontraditional anchor and service uses.
2020
Ownership transfers to Namdar Realty GroupM&ABackground
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which had acquired Westfield, sold the property during a period of anchor closures and wider pressure on enclosed malls.
Action taken
Namdar Realty Group purchased the mall in May and assumed operations on June 1.
Aftermath
The property continued under the Meriden Mall identity and entered a repositioning phase focused on varied retail, services, entertainment, and adaptive reuse.
2014
Boscov's selected to replace JCPenneyProduct launchBackground
The mall needed a new major department-store tenant following the departure of JCPenney.
Action taken
Boscov's announced a new, expanded, and fully remodeled store at the property.
Aftermath
The store opened in November 2015 and became Boscov's first Connecticut and New England location.
1997
Westfield launches a major expansion planStrategyBackground
After acquiring the property, Westfield sought to increase the mall's regional draw and refresh its department-store and specialty-retail offer.
Action taken
The company planned an approximately $38 million redevelopment with added floor area, new stores, a cross-shaped layout, a parking garage, and Lord & Taylor as a new anchor.
Aftermath
The redevelopment was completed in 1999 and materially expanded the center.
Sources2 sources
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