On the site of 80 acres designated upon the general development plan as the core of a town retail center, the program was to design a fully enclosed, air-conditioned, two-level shopping mall to be built in stages up to an ultimate development potential of between 1,800,000 and 2,200,000 square feet of retail selling space. The center would contain, ultimately, five major and one minor department stores and 600,000 square feet of additional shops along with associated public spaces. The latter were to include commercial, display, and garden courts with major shopping facilities around them. Parking at approximately five spaces per 1,000 square feet was to be at grade and on parking decks. The first stage was to consist of two department stores, 300,000 square feet of retail shopping space, and associated public areas. The second stage would add a third department store and 120,000 square feet of retail shopping space. The third would complete the complex and would include deck parking. The center was to be linked with the existing town center plaza and to take note of previous planning decisions establishing highway alignments and entrances and the projected mini-bus route.

COLUMBIA MALL

Columbia, Maryland

ARCHITECTS: Cope, Linder, Walmsley