Westfield Montgomery

Westfield Montgomery (formerly Montgomery Mall) is a shopping complex in Bethesda, Maryland. Anchor stores include Macy's, Macy's Home and Nordstrom.
== History ==
The mall opened in March 1968, with three anchor stores and 58 smaller shops. It was built as a joint venture between The May Department Stores Company and Strouse, Greenberg & Co., based on the design of John Graham, Jr. and Ward and Hall. The original anchors were Hecht's, Garfinckel's, and Sears. Smaller shops included a Bond Stores outlet. The Mall was also where longtime fugitive William Bradford Bishop bought a ball peen hammer and gas can to kill and burn his entire family on March 1, 1976. The old mall logo was an owl-shaped "M". A mid-1970s expansion included a US$4.5 million, 155,000-square-foot (14,400 m2) Woodward & Lothrop store and 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) of additional retail space for 40 stores. The last renovation completed in October 1991 included Nordstrom, 40 new stores, new floors, brass railings, a glass elevator, which was removed in 2013, and removal of all the fountains to allow for more kiosk and seating space. The grand re-opening featured a concert by Tony Bennett. A 1991 expansion wing featured the first Nordstrom in Maryland and the third in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and Crate & Barrel. The Boulevard Cafes food court is located on the second level.
=== Expansion ===
A plan to expand the mall by 360,000 square feet (33,000 m2) was approved by Montgomery County in September 2007. With the expansion, Westfield Montgomery has more than 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2), the fourth largest mall in the Washington area behind Tysons Corner Center, Westfield Wheaton, and Fair Oaks Mall.
On June 22, 2018, Sears announced that its store would be closing on March 31, 2019, which is included as part of a plan to close 40 stores in early 2019, Sears Holdings announced on November 6, 2018. As of January 29, 2019, however, Sears' webpage for the location has stated that, "We're sorry, the Sears Stores at 7103 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20817 has closed," and Westfield Montgomery has been removed from its online store locator for the state of Maryland.
In 2018, Westfield proposed a plan to transform the Sears store and surrounding areas into an open-air mixed-use center.
=== Crime ===
On May 6, 2016, former federal police officer Eulalio Tordil shot three people in the parking lot. One victim died.
== Gallery ==
=== Videos ===
File:KONE Traction Elevator @ Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD|The Main Elevator
File:Junky OTIS Hydraulic Service Elevator - Westfield Montgomery - Bethesda, MD|The Service Elevator
File:Otis Traction Elevators @ Nordstrom Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD|The Nordstrom Elevator
File:Montgomery Hydraulic Elevator @ Macy's Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD|The Macy's Elevator
File:Sears Montgomery Mall in Bethesda walk around before they close|Sears Closing Tour
File:Dover Hydraulic Elevator @ the former Sears Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD|The Sears Elevator
File:Otis Hydraulic Elevator @ Westfield Montgomery Mall Parking Garage in Bethesda, MD|The Parking Garage Elevator
== External Links ==
Westfield Montgomery's Official WebsiteCategory:Malls in Maryland
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Westfield Malls
Category:Malls that opened in 1968
Category:Multi-Level Malls
Category:Largest Malls in the United States
Category:Nordstrom-anchored Malls
Category:Macy's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Sears-anchored Malls
Category:Arclight Cinemas-anchored Properties