Burlington Mall

Burlington Mall is a regional shopping center in Burlington, Massachusetts, United States. Opened in 1968, it developed from a traditional enclosed mall anchored by Sears, Jordan Marsh, and Filene's into one of the Boston-area's prominent mixed retail and dining destinations. The property is associated with Simon Property Group and serves shoppers from Burlington and surrounding communities in the northwestern Boston metropolitan area. The mall was designed by Herbert H. Johnson Associates, with Symmes, Maini, and McKee Inc. serving as associate architects and engineers. Its original tenant mix combined department stores with everyday retail and community-oriented amenities, including a Stop & Shop supermarket, a two-screen cinema, and an indoor food court. Lord & Taylor was added as an east-side anchor in 1978. The mall's physical format was expanded in 1988, when a second story was added across the center, strengthening its capacity for specialty retail. A major repositioning occurred from 2006 through 2008. The former Filene's building was demolished and replaced by a new wing anchored by Nordstrom. That wing, partially opened in 2007, introduced a more upscale and fashion-oriented tenant mix, including brands such as Michael Kors, Anthropologie, lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. This expansion helped Burlington Mall remain competitive with other large Massachusetts shopping centers and broadened its appeal beyond department-store shopping. The property underwent another transformation beginning in January 2018 and continuing through late 2022. The three-phase program included the creation of The Village at Burlington Mall on the former Sears Auto site, redevelopment of the lower level of the Sears building while retaining Primark on the upper level, new small-shop and restaurant space, outdoor seating, a roughly one-acre park, redesigned entrances, landscaping, patio dining, and broader mall renovations. The work reflects the shift in regional malls toward food, wellness, services, social gathering, and outdoor experiences alongside conventional retail. Burlington Mall's current identity combines department-store anchors, specialty fashion and lifestyle stores, restaurants, beauty and wellness services, technology-oriented businesses, and casual dining. Nordstrom and Macy's are identified as operating anchors, while the former Lord & Taylor building is vacant. The center has also hosted distinctive dining concepts, including Bazille at Nordstrom, and previously had one of Massachusetts' relatively few Chick-fil-A locations until 2014. Burlington Mall gained additional public visibility when it was used as a filming location for the 2009 comedy film Paul Blart: Mall Cop, standing in for the fictional West Orange Pavilion Mall.

Burlington Mall opened in 1968 in Burlington, Massachusetts, as an enclosed regional shopping center designed to serve the growing communities northwest of Boston. Herbert H. Johnson Associates prepared the principal architectural design, while Symmes, Maini, and McKee Inc. acted as associate architects and engineers. The original anchor lineup consisted of Sears, Jordan Marsh, and Filene's. The early center also included a Stop & Shop supermarket, a two-screen cinema, and an indoor open-air food court, giving it a combination of department-store, grocery, convenience, and leisure functions. The land history included property assembled from local holdings. A portion was associated with Vesili Matto, an Albanian immigrant and local produce merchant and farmer, whose family entered into a long-term lease arrangement with the developers. The mall's land tenure therefore included an unusually extended lease structure rather than a simple conventional acquisition. The site had earlier been purchased by New York-based Bellwether Properties in 1920 for more than $2,000, according to the historical account cited for the mall. Burlington Mall expanded its department-store offer in 1978 with the construction of an east-side addition for Lord & Taylor. In 1988, the center added a second story across the mall. Because the anchor buildings had already been built in two- and three-story forms, the work primarily increased the scale and intensity of the enclosed retail environment. For many years, Burlington Mall was regarded as Massachusetts' largest mall, although it later ranked behind the expanded Natick Mall. The next major phase came between 2006 and 2008. Filene's was removed and its former location was redeveloped as a new wing anchored by Nordstrom. The wing began partial operations in November 2007 and added approximately 20 stores, including a number of upscale fashion and lifestyle names such as Michael Kors, Anthropologie, lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. This project shifted the mall's mix toward higher-end specialty retail while preserving the draw of large department stores. It also formed part of a broader pattern of investment in major Massachusetts malls during the period. Beginning in January 2018, Burlington Mall entered a further property transformation that continued until late 2022. The first phase converted the former Sears Auto site into The Village at Burlington Mall, a collection of beauty, wellness, technology, fast-casual, and sit-down dining businesses connected by pedestrian paths. The second phase redeveloped the lower level of the Sears building into smaller retail and restaurant spaces, while Primark remained on the upper level. Interior corridors and multiple exterior entrances were added, along with an approximately one-acre park and outdoor seating. The third phase addressed exterior entrances, landscaping, patio dining, and general mall renovations. These changes illustrate the mall industry's movement away from a purely enclosed department-store model. Burlington Mall increasingly combined specialty retail with restaurants, personal services, wellness, technology, outdoor gathering areas, and experiential design. Nordstrom and Macy's are identified as the current department-store anchors, while the former Lord & Taylor building is vacant. The center has also been associated with distinctive dining concepts, including Bazille at Nordstrom, and formerly hosted one of the relatively few Chick-fil-A restaurants in Massachusetts until 2014. The mall has had a presence beyond commercial retail. It was used as a location for the 2009 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop, where it represented the fictional West Orange Pavilion Mall during a chase sequence. Burlington Mall remains an active shopping and dining destination under Simon Property Group, although the available reference material does not establish a separate founding company, current general manager, financial performance, or public-company listing for the mall itself.

• 2022

  Transformation continues through late 2022

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The multiyear redevelopment program continues through late 2022 with improvements to tenant space, dining, landscaping, and public areas.

• 2018

  Property transformation starts

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  A three-phase redevelopment begins, adding new retail, dining, services, outdoor amenities, and renovated entrances.

• 2009

  Film-location appearance

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The mall serves as a filming location for Paul Blart: Mall Cop.

• 2007

  Nordstrom wing partially opens

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  The redevelopment of the former Filene's site begins opening as a new Nordstrom-anchored wing.

• 1988

  Second-story expansion

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  A second story is added throughout the mall, increasing its retail capacity.

• 1978

  Lord & Taylor addition

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  An east-side addition introduces Lord & Taylor as an additional department-store anchor.

• 1968

  Mall opens

  [1]Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org

  Burlington Mall opens with Sears, Jordan Marsh, and Filene's as its principal anchors, alongside a supermarket, cinema, and food court.

A large, fashion-oriented regional shopping center that combines department stores and specialty retail with dining, services, outdoor amenities, and social experiences.

• Anchor retail · 1968

  Department-store retail

  Burlington Mall's anchor-retail offer includes Nordstrom and Macy's. Historically, Sears, Jordan Marsh, Filene's, and Lord & Taylor also served as major anchors. These stores have provided broad assortments spanning apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty, and general merchandise, while anchor changes have shaped the property's successive repositioning phases.

• Fashion and specialty retail · 2007

  Specialty fashion and lifestyle retail

  The mall's specialty-retail mix includes fashion, accessories, athletic and casual apparel, and lifestyle merchandise. The Nordstrom wing added brands such as Michael Kors, Anthropologie, lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and Free People, helping establish a more upscale and trend-oriented identity alongside the department stores.

• Mixed retail and dining district · 2018

  The Village at Burlington Mall

  Created on the former Sears Auto site during the later property transformation, The Village at Burlington Mall brings together beauty and wellness businesses, technology-oriented shops, fast-casual restaurants, and sit-down dining. Pedestrian paths connect the district with the broader mall and support a more open, mixed-use shopping experience.

• Food, beverage, and leisure · 2018

  Dining and outdoor amenities

  Burlington Mall has developed a broad dining offer that includes fast-casual and full-service restaurants, patio dining, outdoor seating, and a roughly one-acre park associated with the redevelopment. The property has also been known for specialty venues such as Bazille at Nordstrom and formerly hosted a Chick-fil-A location.

• 2018

  Launch a three-phase property transformationStrategy

  Background

  The mall undertook a long-term modernization program intended to diversify the property beyond conventional enclosed retail and improve its dining, services, outdoor, and social environments.

  Action taken

  The program created The Village at Burlington Mall, redeveloped the lower level of the Sears building, added small shops and restaurants, retained Primark upstairs, introduced outdoor seating and a park, and upgraded entrances, landscaping, patios, and common areas.

  Aftermath

  The transformation continued through late 2022 and left the property with a more mixed retail, dining, service, and outdoor-amenity format.

  Source

• 2006

  Replace Filene's site with a Nordstrom-anchored wingStrategy

  Background

  The mall pursued a major repositioning to strengthen its competitive position and attract higher-end specialty retailers after the departure and demolition of the Filene's building.

  Action taken

  Between 2006 and 2008, the former Filene's site was redeveloped into a new wing anchored by Nordstrom and containing approximately 20 specialty stores.

  Aftermath

  The expansion broadened Burlington Mall's fashion and lifestyle offer, with the new wing partially opening in 2007.

  Source

1. 1Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Burlington Mall official property pagesimon.com