Frederick Towne Mall

Frederick Towne Mall is a one-level shopping mall 2.9 miles (4.7 km) east of downtown Frederick, Maryland between West Patrick Street, Waverley Drive and McCain Drive in the Golden Mile neighborhood in the city of Frederick. The mall has three anchors which includes Boscov's, The Home Depot and Bon-Ton (now closed).
== Mall History ==
=== Development ===
Frederick Towne Mall was first announced in 1970; early plans called for the mall to be between 350,000 to 400,000 square feet, but plans were later pushed to 630,000 square feet, with a central second floor for service tenants. An opening date was set for April 1971. By March 1971, anchors had been announced to include Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penney, and Eyerly's, with Wards set to open in fall 1971, followed by the rest of the mall "in about a year". Other tenants announced included McCrory's, Peoples Drug, Thom McAn, RadioShack, Foxwood Casuals, Chess King, General Nutrition Centers, Kay Jewelers, and Walden Books.
=== Opening & Early Years ( 1972 - 2000 ) ===
Frederick Towne Mall opened its doors in 1972 as the first shopping mall in the city of Frederick. Initially, it boasted JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, and Eyerly's as its original anchors, alongside various tenants such as McCrory's, Peoples Drug, Thom McAn, RadioShack, Foxwood Casuals, Chess King, GNC, Kay Jewelers, and Waldenbooks. 
Over time, the surrounding area of the mall experienced an increase in low-income housing and a rise in violent crime. The mall gained a reputation for crime and frequent fights, prompting many tenants to relocate to a safer retail district near the competing Francis Scott Key Mall, which opened in 1978.
=== Decline & Attempted Redevlopment ( 2001 - 2009 ) ===
In 2001, Montgomery Ward closed due to bankruptcy, later replaced by The Home Depot in 2004. Boscov's took over the vacant JCPenney space in 2003, but by 2005, Gentlemen's Choice, the last remaining opening day tenant, moved out. Proposals to redevelop the mall into a mixed-use site were made in 2006, but economic issues resulting from the Great Recession in 2009 halted these plans.
=== Further Decilne & Eventual Closure ( 2011 - 2016 ) ===
The mall's reputation for crime continued to grow, leading Frederick residents to shift their shopping to the safer side of town near the Francis Scott Key Mall. In January 2011, Bon-Ton closed its Frederick Towne Mall location, and by April 2013, John's Hallmark, the last interior tenant, closed its doors, permanently shutting down the enclosed portion of the mall.
In 2014, a year after the mall's "closure", three individuals were charged with burglary and trespassing after breaking into the mall. Their motives remained unclear. In 2016, redevelopment efforts began with the project named Frederick Towne Center. The plan involved keeping Boscov's and Home Depot while demolishing the mall in between. A 155,000 square foot Walmart store was part of the new site plan. However, in September 2016, all plans for redevelopment were canceled.
=== Redevelopment ( 2019 - Now ) ===
In November 2019, the mall underwent an official "renaming" to District 40, with plans to introduce diverse tenants offering activities such as go-karts, a bowling alley, a video arcade, a trampoline park, and various restaurants. Warehouse Cinemas became the inaugural tenant, opening its doors in 2020 within the former location of Hoyts Cinema 10. Additionally, Taj Mahal Grill & Bar launched in 2020, taking over the former Ground Round space.
The report indicated that Home Depot, despite its physical connection to the old mall, is technically not part of the property. Boscov's still holds a lease, although no specific details were disclosed regarding the future of the store. In 2021, Frederick Furniture seized the opportunity to open its doors in the space formerly occupied by CVS.
== Anchor Stores ==
=== North Anchor ===
Originally opened as JCPenney in 1972, then converted to a Boscov’s in 2003 after JCPenney decided to close their store. Boscov’s still remains open to this day
=== East & South ===
Opened as Bon-Ton in 1972, remained in buisness until 2011
Category:Malls that opened in 1972
Category:Malls in Maryland
Category:Shopping Centers in Maryland
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Shopping Centers in the United States
Category:Dead Malls
Category:Abandoned malls
Category:Defunct malls
Category:Shopping Centers
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Edward J. DeBartolo
Category:Former Malls
Category:Boscov's-anchored Malls
Category:The Home Depot-anchored Malls
Category:Former Bon-Ton-anchored Malls
Category:Former Eyerly's-anchored Malls
Category:Former JCPenney-anchored Malls
Category:Former Wards-anchored Malls