Harford Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA shopping mall in Bel Air, Maryland, and the only enclosed shopping mall in Harford County.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Harford Mall is a shopping center in Bel Air, Maryland, located near the junction of Maryland Route 24 and U.S. Route 1, approximately 32 miles north of Baltimore. The property occupies the former site of the Bel Air Racetrack and has served as Harford County's principal enclosed shopping destination since opening in 1973. It was initially developed by Mid Atlantic Realty Trust with E.J. Korvette and Montgomery Ward as its principal department-store anchors. The center also included a cinema, Waldenbooks, Friendly Ice Cream, Horn and Horn, and an F. W. Woolworth store among its early tenants. The mall's anchor history reflects the consolidation and retrenchment of the American department-store industry. E.J. Korvette was subsequently replaced by Hutzler's, then Hecht's, and ultimately Macy's. Montgomery Ward was later replaced by Sears, whose store opened in 2001 after the former Montgomery Ward space was redeveloped. Hochschild Kohn, which opened during an expansion in October 1977, was eventually incorporated into the mall's food-court area. These changes made Harford Mall a local retail landmark while tying its fortunes to the broader department-store sector. CBL & Associates Properties acquired the mall in 2003 for $71 million. In 2006 and 2007, the property underwent a substantial renovation that refreshed the center court, interior circulation areas, and exterior appearance. The original indoor food court was removed and replaced with additional retail space. Dining activity was shifted toward newly created exterior spaces, which attracted restaurants including Qdoba, Bonefish Grill, Five Guys, Vaccaro's Italian Pastries, and Red Robin. The renovation also introduced or expanded fashion-oriented tenants such as Hollister and American Eagle. During the 2010s and early 2020s, the property experienced tenant turnover associated with changing retail patterns, chain bankruptcies, and competition from nearby open-air centers. Old Navy left in 2013 and was replaced by The Shoe Department Encore, while Payless ShoeSource and Charlotte Russe announced closures in 2019 amid national bankruptcy and restructuring activity. Sears closed its Harford Mall location in early 2020 after the parent company entered bankruptcy proceedings. The Sears building was demolished in 2022 as part of a multi-phase redevelopment program. The former Sears parcel is being repositioned as an open-air retail complex separate from the enclosed mall. The redevelopment has been planned to accommodate Amazon Fresh, with an expected opening in 2026, and forms part of a broader effort involving additional retail, restaurants, and residential development. Plans for the former Macy's property have also called for a mixed-use project known as Derby Place, including a Whole Foods Market, other retail buildings, and restaurant space. The future of the enclosed mall has been complicated by Macy's announcement in January 2025 that its store would close; the location shut in March 2025. With both traditional department-store anchors gone, Harford Mall has entered a major transition from a conventional enclosed regional mall toward a mixed retail and mixed-use destination.
History
Harford Mall opened in 1973 on land previously occupied by the Bel Air Racetrack. Mid Atlantic Realty Trust developed the center as a conventional enclosed shopping mall for Bel Air and the wider Harford County market. Its original anchor lineup consisted of E.J. Korvette and Montgomery Ward, supported by a multi-screen cinema and a collection of national and regional retailers, including Waldenbooks, Friendly Ice Cream, Horn and Horn, and F. W. Woolworth. The mall expanded during the late 1970s. Hochschild Kohn opened in October 1977 and later became part of the area used for the original food court. As department-store ownership and branding changed, E.J. Korvette's space passed through Hutzler's and Hecht's before becoming Macy's. Montgomery Ward was eventually replaced by Sears, which opened a new store at the mall in 2001. CBL & Associates Properties purchased Harford Mall in 2003 for $71 million. Under CBL ownership, the center received a major renovation in 2006 and 2007. The project remodeled the center court, refreshed the interior and exterior design, and eliminated the original enclosed food court. In its place, the mall added more retail space inside and developed an exterior dining area. Restaurants such as Qdoba, Bonefish Grill, Five Guys, Vaccaro's Italian Pastries, and Red Robin became part of the updated customer offer. The renovation also brought in fashion retailers including Hollister and American Eagle. The property subsequently faced the same structural pressures affecting many enclosed malls: department-store contraction, chain bankruptcies, tenant relocations, and competition from newer open-air retail developments. Old Navy departed in 2013 for The Boulevard at Box Hill in Abingdon. Payless ShoeSource and Charlotte Russe announced closures in 2019 amid nationwide corporate restructurings. Sears closed in early 2020 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy, removing one of the mall's two principal anchors. The former Sears building was demolished between early 2022 and March 2022. Rather than reconstructing another enclosed anchor, the first redevelopment phase created an adjacent open-air retail concept that is physically separate from the original mall building. The cleared parcel was planned to accommodate a major grocery tenant, with Amazon Fresh identified as the expected occupant and an anticipated 2026 opening. The second major anchor departure came when Macy's announced in January 2025 that its Harford Mall store would close as part of a nationwide reduction. The store closed in March 2025, leaving the enclosed mall without its traditional department-store anchors. Proposed redevelopment of the former Macy's parcel, referred to as Derby Place, is intended to combine retail, restaurants, and residential uses. Plans have identified Whole Foods Market as a prospective grocery anchor in a roughly 35,600-square-foot building, alongside additional retail buildings and tenants such as THB Bagelry and Deli. Harford Mall therefore remains an operating retail property but is in a significant period of repositioning. Its future model is expected to rely less on large department stores and more on grocery, restaurants, open-air retail, and potentially residential uses. The mall also has an associated Harford Mall Annex across Boulton Street, containing retailers and service businesses such as Office Depot, Dollar Tree, PetSmart, Banfield Pet Hospital, and Best Buy.
- 2025
Macy's closes
[1]Macy's closes its Harford Mall store in March after announcing the location's inclusion in a nationwide closure program.
- 2022
Former Sears site cleared
[1]The former Sears building is demolished by March to make way for a separate open-air redevelopment.
- 2020
Sears closes
[1]Sears closes its Harford Mall store in early February following its parent company's bankruptcy proceedings.
- 2007
Renovation and outdoor dining conversion completed
[1]The mall completes its redesign, removing the original indoor food court and creating exterior restaurant space.
- 2006
Major renovation begins
[1]The property begins a substantial interior and exterior renovation that continues into 2007.
- 2003
CBL acquires the property
[1]CBL & Associates Properties purchases Harford Mall for $71 million.
- 2001
Sears replaces Montgomery Ward
[1]A Sears department store opens at the mall, replacing the Montgomery Ward anchor.
- 1977
Hochschild Kohn opens
[1]Hochschild Kohn opens during a mall expansion in October and later becomes associated with the original food-court area.
- 1973
Harford Mall opens
[1]The mall opens on the former Bel Air Racetrack site with E.J. Korvette and Montgomery Ward as its department-store anchors.
Products and positioning
A regional shopping center serving Bel Air and Harford County, with a traditional enclosed mall component and expanding open-air and mixed-use redevelopment areas.
Shopping center · 1973
Enclosed mall retail
Harford Mall provides enclosed retail space for apparel, footwear, specialty merchandise, beauty products, and other consumer goods. Its tenant mix historically included department stores, fashion chains, books, shoes, and general merchandise retailers. Following the departure of Sears and Macy's, the enclosed portion is being repositioned within a broader redevelopment strategy.
Food and beverage and specialty retail · 2007
Outdoor dining and retail areas
The 2006–2007 renovation replaced the original interior food court with exterior restaurant and retail spaces. The outdoor component has accommodated brands and restaurants including Qdoba, Bonefish Grill, Five Guys, Vaccaro's Italian Pastries, Red Robin, and other food-service operators.
Mixed-use retail development · 2022
Harford Mall redevelopment
The redevelopment program is transforming former department-store parcels into open-air retail and mixed-use destinations. Plans for the former Sears site identify Amazon Fresh as an expected grocery tenant, while the proposed Derby Place project on the former Macy's parcel includes Whole Foods Market, additional retail buildings, restaurants, and residential components.
Brand decisions
2025
Redevelopment following Macy's closureStrategyBackground
Macy's announced that its Harford Mall store would close as part of a nationwide store-closing program, removing the property's remaining traditional anchor.
Action taken
Plans for the former Macy's property call for Derby Place, a mixed-use development with Whole Foods Market, other retail buildings, restaurants, and residential elements.
Aftermath
The mall's future is shifting toward a mixed retail and mixed-use format rather than a conventional department-store-anchored enclosed mall.
2020
Repositioning after Sears closureStrategyBackground
Sears closed its anchor store following the retailer's bankruptcy, leaving a major vacant department-store parcel.
Action taken
The former Sears building was demolished and the parcel was incorporated into a multi-phase open-air redevelopment rather than being replaced with another enclosed department store.
Aftermath
The cleared site became the first phase of a broader redevelopment plan expected to include grocery, retail, restaurant, and potentially residential uses.
2006
Comprehensive mall renovationStrategyBackground
The property required modernization after several decades of operation and sought to improve its retail and dining offer.
Action taken
CBL renovated the interior and exterior, remodeled the center court, removed the enclosed food court, and shifted dining activity to exterior spaces.
Aftermath
The project added retail capacity and introduced a more restaurant-oriented outdoor component, along with updated specialty retailers.
Sources1 sources
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