Arundel Mills

Arundel Mills is a super-regional outlet mall in Hanover, Maryland, United States. It is managed by Simon Property Group, which owns 59.3% of the mall. The remaining shares are owned by the KanAm Grund Group. With 1,930,820 square feet (179,379 m2) of gross leasable area, it is the largest mall in Maryland. Primarily developed by Mills Corporation, the mall is at the intersection of Maryland Route 100 and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway (Maryland Route 295) in northwestern Anne Arundel County (hence the name "Arundel" Mills). History Mid-1990s–2000: Development and opening Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Washington, D.C.-based Western Development Corporation, which completed a corporate spin-off as the Arlington, Virginia-based Mills Corporation in April 1994, purchased approximately 850 acres (340 ha) of former farmland and the defunct Patapsco Ridge Beagle Club in Hanover. German-based KanAm Grund Group was involved with development and funding. In 1997, D.C.-based Somerset Construction Company and its president, Mike Caruthers, alongside his partners sold roughly 400–450 acres (160–180 ha) of this land to the Mills Corporation specifically for the construction of the planned shopping mall on the site. The project was known as Arundel Mills, and would be proposed as Maryland's largest shopping mall, with over 1.3 million square feet (120 thousand square meters) of retail space, directly competing with similar shopping centers in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, such as Owings Mills Mall, and the then-largest mall in Maryland, Towson Town Center. The focus for the project would be on high-quality outlets, entertainment venues, and big-box anchors to attract regional shoppers in the Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Washington, D.C. areas. Somerset Construction Company would lead as the main contractor. In August 1998, the Anne Arundel County Council approved specialized zoning modifications for the new shopping center development. However, development was criticized in the late 1990s due to concerns about traffic congestion from retail saturation in the Baltimore and D.C. areas, stemming from adjacent Maryland Route 100 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, as well as wetland destruction and increased stormwater runoff. It would cost $28 million in road and sewer construction for the mall, both of which would be funded by Anne Arundel County. In August 1998, The Washington Post warned that the development would essentially repeat the initial problems of Potomac Mills. The Mills Corp. successfully addressed these concerns. Only 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) of wetland was filled. Arundel Mills began construction in July 1999 during protests against the project, including those from County executive Janet S. Owens. The wetlands fill plan was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) in October 1999, and the mall had its grand opening celebration on November 17, 2000, with over 250 stores. It was the first enclosed mall to feature a Medieval Times dinner theater. Original stores included TJ Maxx and Books-A-Million. Simon DeBartolo Group, later Simon Property Group in 1998, held joint venture interests in Arundel Mills. Design and architecture As is common for other Landmark Mills malls, the interior walkway resembles a "racetrack" design and, more noticeably, the outline of a boat. It also featured a summer-themed food court known as The Roundhouse, named after the mall's original train theme, which also paid homage to the B&O Railroad Museum, specifically the B&O Roundhouse. The overall design was part of the Mills Corp.'s "shoppertainment" model, and Arundel Mills was designed by Somerville, Massachusetts-based D'Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects, Inc. (DiQuinzio). The mall's interior was designed by ID8, a subsidiary of local architectural firm RTKL Associates. The architects took inspiration from the Rouse Company's festival marketplaces and shopping malls in Maryland, such as Harborplace (designed by Benjamin Thompson & Associates, Inc.), and White Marsh Mall (also designed by RTKL). Some individual tenants hired their own architects for their spaces, with local firm Development Design Group as the architect for Muvico. The DuClaw Brewing Company restaurant was designed by AHS architects (AHSa/Ammon Heisler Sachs architects) for Aero Service Group. 2000–2007: Early years Arundel Mills drew 14 million visitors in its first year of operation. In addition to 17 large anchor stores, Arundel Mills also features an Egyptian 24-screen megaplex theater. The cinema was the only outlet of its Muvico Theaters chain in the state of Maryland. In May 2002, Simon Property Group sold its 75% interest in Arundel Mills back to KanAm and the Mills Corp. for $430 million. Design and architecture (continued) Arundel Mills originally featured colorful assets, including the Mills TV, which would display video loops of music videos, movie trailers, and advertisements for the mall's tenants. Colorful assets also included five themed neighborhoods, featuring "Courts" in each concourse sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, Toyota, The Baltimore Sun, Comcast, and Discover Card. Additional sponsors included Bank of America and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. The original courts included the Bowl-A-Rama Court in Neighborhood 1, the Toyota Court in Neighborhood 2, the Baltimore Sun Court and the Pinball Palace Court in Neighborhood 3, originally anchored by Jillian's Entertainment. The Fashion Avenue Court, and the Lily's Pad Court, were in Neighborhoods 4 and 5, were anchored by Saks Off 5th (hence the name "Fashion" Avenue Court), alongside Bed Bath & Beyond and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. H&M opened at Arundel Mills in February 2003, being the store's first location in the Baltimore/D.C. area. The Maryland Daily Record noted the store as "cheap" and "chic". The Crayola Works Creativity & Studio Store opened at the mall in July 2002 and closed permanently in February 2004 for unspecified reasons. The parent company, Crayola, then known as the Binney & Smith Company, redirected visitors to the Crayola Factory (now Crayola Experience) in Easton, Pennsylvania. Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Café, a sports bar and family-friendly arcade, announced an opening at Arundel Mills in November 2005, replacing the defunct Jillian's via a $47 million acquisition deal in May 2004. The former Crayola Works space was taken by Neiman Marcus Last Call in March 2006. 2007–2019: Simon Property Group In May 2006, The Mills Corporation was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) due to extensive accounting irregularities and fraudulent financial reporting. As a result, in February 2007, the company's portfolio, including Arundel Mills, would be acquired by Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management for $1.64 billion, following the rejection of Brookfield Asset Management's offer to acquire the Mills Corp. for $1.35 billion. The acquisition was completed in April 2007, and the Mills Corporation was rebranded as The Mills: A Simon Company. In March 2009, Muvico sold the Arundel Mills Egyptian 24, along with three other theaters located in Florida, to Texas-based Cinemark Theatres as part of a multimillion-dollar deal. While the theater was rebranded as Cinemark Egyptian 24 in September 2009, the company initially stated that moviegoers would not notice major changes to the Egyptian-themed decor or operations during the transition. The Cinemark Egyptian 24 was renovated in May 2010, including the conversion of one auditorium into the company's first "Extreme Digital" large-screen format in the region, featuring a floor-to-ceiling screen and a 24-speaker custom sound system, known as Cinemark XD. New carpeting, aisle lighting, 14 self-ticketing kiosks, and an expanded guest service area were also introduced, alongside a self-serve concession stand and a "Cafe Cinema" serving specialty snacks and drinks. During construction, a worker died after a 30-40 feet wall collapsed on them on July 29, 2011. In March 2012, Simon Property Group acquired full control of the property's management by buying out Farallon's stake in 26 Landmark Mills malls for $1.5 billion. On June 6, 2012, Maryland Live! Casino (now Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland) opened to the public, adjacent to Arundel Mills. A second phase opened in September 2012. In winter 2013, Forever 21 opened at Arundel Mills, replacing FYE (For Your Entertainment), which relocated to a smaller space within the mall. On July 15, 2016, a 40-year-old worker suffered life-threatening injuries caused by a severe electrical shock while repairing the mall's HVAC units on the roof. Phase I renovation From 2017 through 2018, the mall interior underwent cosmetic upgrades, including new tile flooring, LED lighting, the installation of kiosks throughout the mall, and seating areas, to align with the more modern aesthetic of the neighboring casino and the newly opened Live! Hotel in April 2018. The renovations were developed by Simon Property Group and designed by the North Carolina-based Bartlett Hartley & Mulkey (BHM). During that time, Neiman Marcus Last Call closed its Arundel Mills location as part of a plan to close ten stores worldwide to focus on full-line stores. In mid-June 2017, Under Armour Factory House opened at the mall. The renovations included the Roundhouse food court, which Simon Property Group rebranded as the Dining Pavilion at Arundel Mills, replacing the food court's original summer theme with a contemporary architectural aesthetic, charging stations with WiFi connectivity, new LED lights, and updated seating. The remodeled food court added new eateries to the mall, including The Crepe Escape & Creamery, Green Leaf's & Bananas, Suki Hana / Wokaholic, Charleys Philly Steaks, and the first Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar in Maryland. Existing restaurants, such as Sbarro, remained operational. Ulta Beauty opened in May 2019 in the former Neiman Marcus Last Call space. On June 13, 2019, the DuClaw Brewing Company at Arundel Mills closed permanently. The restaurant stated that the mall was "unfortunately, no longer a place we can call home." It was announced one month later that Yard House would open a restaurant at DuClaw's former spot next year. 2020–2021: COVID-19 pandemic Yard House announced on March 6, 2020 that it would open the following month, but needed to hire at least 200 staff members to help run the restaurant. During construction on Yard House, Arundel Mills temporarily closed on March 19, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside Annapolis Mall and other Simon properties in the U.S. It reopened in June 2020 under strict social distancing conditions. In December 2020, multiple vehicles in the Live! Casino & Hotel parking garage were damaged overnight by vandalism, and a possibly related vehicle fled the scene. Bed Bath & Beyond shuttered by the end of 2020. MD Furniture Outlet later took that spot. Modell's Sporting Goods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and also shuttered in March 2020, as part of a plan to close nine Maryland stores, including Arundel Mills. While the mall reopened in the summer of 2020, some tenants remained closed throughout the pandemic. The Cinemark movie theater did not reopen until January 2021. In March 2021, the Disney Store closed its doors, as The Walt Disney Company announced that it would be closing at least 60 stores in North America, two of them being Maryland stores per its location website: this one at Arundel Mills, and the other at White Marsh Mall. Disney cited the pandemic and a move from physical retail to its shopDisney e-commerce platform as the reason for the mass closures. Best Buy closed at Arundel Mills permanently in October 2021 after refusing to renew its lease. 2022–present The mall closed temporarily again in October 2022 after a gun was accidentally discharged by a man in the food court. Two people were hurt after running away from the area for safety. Phase II renovation Since the mall's June 2020 reopening, Simon Property Group began painting over Arundel Mills' neighborhood ceilings, the entrances, and the architectural elements in a white and gray color palette, alongside the installation of advertisement TVs. As of 2023, all of the colorful neighborhoods are gone. As part of these renovations, the mall added five major national retailers to its "Fashion Wing," including Adidas Outlet, The North Face, Vera Bradley, Velocity Denim, and Hollister. The goals for this renovation—alongside the 2017–2018 one—were general modernization, to make the mall more attractive to luxury tenants, and to make the mall match the appearance of other Simon properties in the U.S., such as Sawgrass Mills. In August 2023, Irish store Primark announced an opening at Arundel Mills in September, taking the former Best Buy space. It was the chain's first store in Maryland. On July 10, 2024, Dave & Buster's held a "grand reopening" after completing a massive renovation, introducing The Arena, an immersive gaming space, digital darts, and social bays for group play. Later that month, what was now open at the mall included DTLR, HeyDude, Pandora, and children's play area Kids Empire. The North Face expanded its store to 18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2). True Religion Outlet opened near Bass Pro Shops, and T-Mobile renovated its space into the T-Mobile Experience Store concept. In September 2024, Simon implemented a Youth Supervision Policy at Arundel Mills, requiring minors under 18 to be accompanied by an adult 21 or older after 3:00 p.m. ET on Fridays and Saturdays. This was a direct response to crime and vandalism in the area. Any minor violating this policy would be restricted from the property. Specifically, the policy was enacted after police reported dozens of incidents involving minors, including 19 assaults, 18 thefts, and six robberies since the start of 2024. In November 2024, four new stores opened at the mall: Trendy Men, RuyaFashions, Lindt Chocolate, and La Michoacana Prime. Real Fruit Bubble Tea was announced to open in early 2025. The mall's hours were extended for the holidays, though it would remain closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. In February 2025, Forever 21 announced that it would close all of its U.S. stores—including Arundel Mills—following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Liquidation sales were visible at this time. The former Forever 21 was replaced by Chicago-based fashion store Akira, which opened on May 28, 2025. Rally House opened at Arundel Mills in August 2025. This was the company's second location in Maryland. In October 2025, Toys "R" Us announced it would open a new outlet location in Arundel Mills as part of its plan to open new flagship stores by parent companies WHP Global and Go! Retail Group. The store had its grand opening in November 2025. That same month, Arundel Mills celebrated its 25th anniversary, featuring a gallery of the mall from over the years in the Dining Pavilion. The first 250 guests at the November 15 event received commemorative swag bags. Wayfair Outlet replaced MD Furniture and opened at Arundel Mills on January 23, 2026, situated in Neighborhood 5 between Old Navy Outlet and Bass Pro Shops. It was Wayfair's first outlet store in the Mid-Atlantic region. In February 2026, Saks Off 5th announced that it would close two Maryland stores, one of them at Arundel Mills, by the end of April. The outlet store's parent company, Saks Global, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the closure of multiple Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, and Neiman Marcus stores. As of March 2026, liquidation sales have already been posted on the Arundel Mills Off 5th Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet as seen in the image. That same month, Eddie Bauer Outlet announced that it would also close its Arundel Mills location at the end of April, as the retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2026 and made the decision to liquidate all North American stores. Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) at Arundel Mills campus is undergoing building, infrastructure, and technology upgrades as part of its 2026 Facilities Master Plan. On July 8, 2026, Pop Mart announced that they would open their first store in Anne Arundel County at the mall in the summer. 2030s and beyond The county's long-term Plan2040 designates the Arundel Mills area as a Critical Economic Area, focusing on further redevelopment and transit-oriented growth through 2030 and beyond. Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland After Maryland voters approved slot machine gambling in Maryland in 2008, The Cordish Companies planned a slots parlor next to the mall. The proposal for slots at Arundel Mills was on the ballot as a referendum in the November 2010 elections; the referendum passed, and construction began on the casino shortly afterward, with the grand opening of its first phase held on June 6, 2012. The referendum was required following criticism regarding traffic congestion and parking concerns, which the casino did deliver after its opening. Since full completion in September 2012, Live! Casino & Hotel has about 380,000 sq ft (35,000 m2) of floor space and 4,750 gaming slots. Live! Casino & Hotel is a free-standing facility, separated from Arundel Mills by the inner mall ring road. Although not directly connected to the mall, the casino is within walking distance of the food court entrance. Live! Casino & Hotel includes a 5,000-space parking structure at Arundel Mills with a "smart park" green-and-red-light space availability feature, such as the system used at nearby BWI Airport. Parking is available free of charge during all mall hours for Arundel Mills shoppers. Live! Casino & Hotel includes several dining options, including The Cheesecake Factory, KOHO Korean BBQ, and a Prime Rib steakhouse. The project was to feature an Obrycki's Crab House and Seafood Restaurant, but the restaurant announced in November 2011 that it would not open a location there. Instead, Phillips Seafood opened a location at the site. Live! Casino & Hotel has a live music venue, operated by Annapolis-based Rams Head, which includes fixed seating for approximately 300 in a cabaret-style design with several stepped viewing levels of the stage. In 2019, The Hall at Live! concert venue officially opened. Adjacent facilities Arundel Mills Marketplace Across the street from Arundel Mills is a power center known as Arundel Mills Marketplace at 7663 Arundel Mills Boulevard, which opened in 2003 with three anchors, now having four: PetSmart, Michaels, Staples, and Aldi. This property was also developed by the Mills Corp. and KanAm, and is owned and operated by Simon Property Group. Arundel Mills Marketplace originally featured a Circuit City consumer electronics store. Circuit City filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (originally Chapter 11 in November 2008) and closed all of its stores in March 2009. H. H. Gregg—then seeking to expand its presence in Maryland—took the available location in May 2010, though also filed for bankruptcy and went out of business, closing its Arundel Mills Marketplace store in April 2017. Aldi opened a supermarket there in November 2018. ArundelPreserve Between 2004 and 2005, a five-story Class-A office building known as Arundel Mills Corporate Park (formerly Arundel Mills Corporate Center) opened at 7550 Teague Road, including 300 parking spaces. Unlike the Arundel Mills outlet mall and marketplace, Arundel Mills Corporate Park was developed by Linden Associates, Inc. rather than The Mills Corporation. Arundel Mills Corporate Park itself is a mixed-use development, including retail (The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille), and a five-story hotel. It was designed by RTKL Associates, the same firm that designed the main mall. A second phase was completed in 2009 at 7556 Teague Road. Arundel Mills Corporate Park is operated by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Linden Associates, Inc., Holland Properties, KLNB, and several other firms. JP2 Architects also designed Arundel Mills Corporate Park. Area hotels include Residence Inn by Marriott Arundel Mills BWI Airport, licensed by Marriott International, and Hilton Garden Inn Hanover Arundel Mills BWI Airport, licensed by Hilton Hotels & Resorts. The Arundel Mills Hilton Hotel was completed in 2009 and constructed by HITT Contracting. These adjacent properties were made because former Mills Corp. executive and Arundel Mills General Manager/Vice President Gene Condon cited that when Arundel Mills was completed, "there was nothing around it," and that "there were just those 1,200 acres owned by Somerset Construction, which owned most of the land until we bought our 450 acres." The remaining 750 acres (300 ha) were retained by Somerset Construction Co., which partnered with numerous developers that constructed Walmart, Costco, the nearby shopping centers, and seven hotels in the area (formerly four). The reason why Arundel Mills Marketplace was the only adjacent property developed by The Mills Corporation while the other office buildings and hotels were not was because the 450-acre (180 ha) site that was sold to the developers specifically included the 7663 Arundel Mills Blvd site. A significant portion of the adjacent land (approximately 280 acres or 110 ha) was developed into ArundelPreserve, a mixed-use community featuring office space, housing, and the hotels explained above, by a partnership of developers led by Somerset Construction rather than the Mills Corporation. These plans started in May 2003. Notable incidents Arundel Mills has had many crimes happen near or on its property. December 2023 teen attack Around 10 p.m. EST on December 11, 2023, two male teenagers, aged 14 and 15, were robbed and assaulted by a larger group of teenagers. A gold chain and a watch were taken from the victims, and the suspects escaped in different areas. The incident fueled Simon's later decision to implement the youth policy starting in September 2024, as it highlighted concerns regarding minors entering the mall without an adult. September 2024 shooting Police reported a targeted fatal shooting near the Arundel Mills parking lot, specifically near the Cinemark movie theater at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The victim died during transport to the hospital. Simon later said in a statement that Arundel Mills was among the county's most secure environments. In October 2024, a suspect accused of the murder, which per video evidence apparently occurred during a drug transaction, was denied bond. March 2025 shooting At approximately 12:50 a.m. EDT on March 16, 2025, a fight was reported inside the main bar area of Dave & Buster's. An officer later heard a gunshot and observed two males fighting, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The officer was able to take the suspect into custody without further incident. The investigation revealed that the handgun was discharged into the floor during the struggle. There were no injuries reported. June 2025 shooting An innocent woman died as a result of four suspects who shot her with guns. The suspects were arrested, and surveillance footage showed people in two vehicles exchanging gunfire. September 2025 shooting and store robbery A man was arrested with a rifle, stolen handguns, and body armor in a Ford Explorer outside Arundel Mills. Two employees were robbed at gunpoint outside the Dollar Tree near the mall. January 2026 robberies Two robberies occurred over this month. ATM robbery On January 2, 2026, at 7:45 p.m. EST, officers responded to a report of a robbery at a Citgo gas station at 7500 Ridge Road, near Arundel Mills Mall. A man was using an ATM when a suspect approached, displayed a handgun, and demanded money. After receiving money, the suspect fled the scene. Car robbery At around 3:50 p.m. EST on January 17, 2026, police responded to a reported "strong-arm robbery" at 7000 Arundel Mills Circle. Initial investigation revealed that a woman was in her car when a male suspect reached through her window and grabbed several items from her. The suspect immediately attempted to flee the scene in a blue SUV, and police said no weapons were displayed or used during the incident. March 2026 shooting At approximately 5 p.m. EDT on March 28 2026, a gunshot was fired inside the mall near Burlington. According to local police, the three suspects were put in custody after a pursuit into Baltimore County. Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy stated that a man leaving the Burlington department store was assaulted by three people before firing a gun, which hit one of the three in a wrist. The suspects fled in a Nissan Altima, which later crashed on Interstate 97. Two of the three assailants suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the crash. On March 30, the requested bail by the suspects was rejected. See also Concord Mills, Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills and Tsawwassen Mills, all Landmark Mills malls that also include an adjacent power center (Concord Marketplace, Village at Pittsburgh Mills, and Tsawwassen Commons) and Sawgrass Mills (Sawgrass Square) Katy Mills, another Landmark Mills mall designed by RTKL CrossIron Mills, which is also adjacent to a casino (Century Downs Racetrack and Casino) Clarksburg Premium Outlets Gallery Notes and references External links Arundel Mills Outlet Mall at Simon Property Group - Official website Arundel Mills Marketplace at Simon Property Group - Official website Cinemark Egyptian 24 Official Website Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland - The Cordish Companies Simon: Malls, Mills & Outlets