Methuen Mall

Methuen Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Methuen, Massachusetts, United States. It opened in 1973 on a site associated with the Mann family apple orchard, positioned along Massachusetts Route 213 between Interstate 93 and Interstate 495. The project was developed by First Hartford Realty and was intended to serve shoppers in northeastern Massachusetts and nearby southern New Hampshire. Its original tenant mix combined two department-store anchors with approximately 70 additional retailers, making it an important regional shopping destination during the era when enclosed malls were a dominant suburban retail format. The mall was initially planned with Sears and Sutherlands as its principal anchors. Sutherlands, a department store based in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts, ultimately chose to expand its existing downtown location and open another store in Andover rather than join the project. Howlands, a White Plains, New York-based department-store chain, replaced Sutherlands in the plans. Sears opened a large store with more than 50 merchandise departments and an associated automotive repair center, while Howlands opened its store on September 17, 1973. The balance of the mall opened on November 5 of that year. Methuen Mall experienced an early anchor transition when Howlands closed in 1977 and was replaced by Jordan Marsh. Filene's Basement later expanded the mall's anchor lineup, opening a roughly 25,000-square-foot store in 1982. Ownership also changed: after its development, the mall was sold to JMB Realty and then, in 1984, to MetLife as part of a transaction that also included an adjacent Caldor-anchored strip center and Auburn Mall in Auburn, Massachusetts. The mall's long-term position weakened in the early 1990s as competition intensified across the state line. New England Development built The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, where the absence of a state sales tax offered a strong pricing advantage for shoppers from Massachusetts. The newer center also included Sears, creating direct competition for Methuen Mall's most important anchor. By 1992, both Sears and Filene's Basement had relocated to Rockingham Park. Ann & Hope occupied the former Sears space in 1993, but it closed in 1995. Jordan Marsh also closed that year, leaving the property without a traditional department-store anchor. Occupancy and customer traffic continued to decline. By 1996, the mall had lost more than one-quarter of its approximately 65 tenants. In an attempt to reuse the former Ann & Hope space and attract visitors after the closure of a nearby convention center, the property hosted an expo center whose first event was an all-night rave. The strategy did not reverse the mall's decline. Eventually, Applebee's was the only remaining tenant. When redevelopment plans sought to remove the restaurant, Applebee's resisted and became involved in a lengthy court dispute. The rest of the mall was demolished around the restaurant, which later vacated the site after losing the legal battle. Methuen Mall ceased operating as an enclosed mall in the late 1990s. Demolition began in early 1999, and the property was redeveloped around 2000 by a joint venture of The Brickstone Companies and The Wilder Companies as The Loop, an open-air shopping center. The redeveloped property replaced the former mall format with large-format and entertainment tenants, including The Home Depot, Marshalls, and AMC Theatres, alongside smaller businesses. The Loop is now owned and managed by Charter Realty. Although Methuen Mall no longer exists as a shopping center, its site remains a notable example of the transition from traditional enclosed malls to open-air, power-center-style redevelopment.

Methuen Mall was developed during the expansion of suburban enclosed shopping centers in the northeastern United States. In July 1972, First Hartford Realty of Manchester, Connecticut, announced plans for the project on Massachusetts Route 213, between Interstate 93 and Interstate 495. The selected property included part of the Mann family apple orchard. Early plans called for Sears and Sutherlands as the anchors, but Sutherlands decided to expand its Lawrence store and open a second location in Andover rather than participate. Howlands, a department-store company based in White Plains, New York, took the place of Sutherlands in the development plan. Construction was scheduled around a Sears opening in September 1973. The Sears store included more than 50 merchandise departments and a substantial automotive repair facility in the parking lot. Howlands opened on September 17, 1973, and the remainder of the enclosed mall opened on November 5. The project initially contained roughly 70 other retailers and became a regional destination for shoppers from Methuen, Lawrence, and surrounding communities. The first major change to the anchor lineup came in 1977, when Howlands closed and Jordan Marsh moved into the space. Filene's Basement added another major store in 1982, giving the center a three-anchor configuration. After its initial development, the mall was sold to JMB Realty. In 1984, MetLife acquired the mall along with an adjacent Caldor-anchored strip center and Auburn Mall in Auburn, Massachusetts. Competition changed sharply in the 1990s. New England Development announced The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, just across the state line. The new center benefited from New Hampshire's lack of a sales tax and included Sears, directly challenging Methuen Mall's strongest anchor. Although the older mall initially reported a relatively low vacancy rate, its competitive position deteriorated after Rockingham Park opened. By 1992, Sears and Filene's Basement had both relocated there. Ann & Hope occupied the former Sears premises in 1993, but closed in 1995. Jordan Marsh also closed that year, leaving the mall without a department-store anchor. By 1996, more than a quarter of the mall's approximately 65 tenants had departed. The property attempted to generate replacement traffic by converting the former Ann & Hope area into an expo center after the closure of a nearby convention facility. The first event was an all-night rave, but the project did not halt the decline. The mall ultimately reached a point at which Applebee's was the only remaining tenant. Developers sought to remove the restaurant as part of a broader redevelopment, but Applebee's resisted and remained involved in a long court case. The developers demolished the rest of the mall around the restaurant, and Applebee's eventually vacated after losing the legal dispute. The enclosed shopping center closed permanently and was demolished in early 1999. Around 2000, The Brickstone Companies and The Wilder Companies redeveloped the site as The Loop, a non-enclosed shopping center. The new project shifted away from department-store anchoring and toward large-format retail, entertainment, and smaller service tenants. Home Depot, Marshalls, and AMC Theatres became prominent tenants, with approximately 20 smaller businesses also occupying the center. Pearle Vision was among the businesses associated with both the former mall and the redevelopment. The Loop is owned and managed by Charter Realty. The site's history illustrates how tax differences, new regional competition, anchor departures, and changing retail formats can undermine an enclosed mall and lead to open-air redevelopment.

• 2020

  Stop & Shop leaves The Loop

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  The Stop & Shop store at the successor shopping center closed and was reported to be replaced by One Stop Liquor and BioLife.

• 2000

  Site redeveloped as The Loop

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  The property reopened in a non-enclosed format developed by The Brickstone Companies and The Wilder Companies.

• 1999

  Mall demolished

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed mall was demolished after years of declining occupancy and unsuccessful attempts to reposition it.

• 1995

  Final department-store anchors close

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  Ann & Hope and Jordan Marsh closed, leaving the mall without a traditional anchor.

• 1992

  Two major anchors depart

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  Sears and Filene's Basement moved to The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire.

• 1984

  MetLife acquires the property

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  MetLife acquired the mall in a portfolio transaction involving other Massachusetts retail properties.

• 1982

  Filene's Basement opens

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  Filene's Basement opened a roughly 25,000-square-foot store as a third anchor.

• 1977

  Jordan Marsh replaces Howlands

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  Jordan Marsh took over Howlands' anchor location.

• 1973

  Methuen Mall opens

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  Howlands opened in September, followed by the rest of the enclosed mall in November. Sears served as the other principal anchor.

• 1972

  Development announced

  [1]The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org

  First Hartford Realty announced plans for Methuen Mall on a former portion of the Mann family apple orchard.

A regional enclosed shopping mall serving northeastern Massachusetts and nearby southern New Hampshire, with department-store anchors and a broad general-retail tenant mix.

• Department store and automotive services · 1973

  Sears

  Sears was one of Methuen Mall's original anchor tenants. Its store opened in 1973 with more than 50 merchandise departments and a separate automotive repair center in the parking lot. The location provided the mall with a broad general-merchandise offer and helped establish it as a regional shopping destination. Sears later moved to The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, contributing to the loss of Methuen Mall's principal customer draw.

• Department store · 1973

  Howlands

  Howlands was a department-store chain based in White Plains, New York, and operated the largest store in its chain at Methuen Mall. The store opened in September 1973 in space originally intended for Sutherlands. Howlands was part of the mall's original anchor strategy but closed in 1977, after which Jordan Marsh occupied the location.

• Department store · 1977

  Jordan Marsh

  Jordan Marsh replaced Howlands as Methuen Mall's department-store anchor in 1977. It remained one of the property's most important tenants during the mall's mature period, but closed in 1995 as the center's customer traffic and occupancy deteriorated. Its departure left the mall without a conventional department-store anchor.

• Off-price department store · 1982

  Filene's Basement

  Filene's Basement opened a roughly 25,000-square-foot store at Methuen Mall in 1982, adding an off-price department-store format to the center's anchor lineup. The retailer later relocated to The Mall at Rockingham Park by 1992, removing another major source of traffic from the older property.

• Department store · 1993

  Ann & Hope

  Ann & Hope moved into the former Sears location in 1993 after Sears transferred its business to the newer Rockingham Park mall. The replacement anchor operated for only a short period and closed in 1995, reflecting the difficulty of sustaining the former department-store space as the property lost regional relevance.

• Open-air shopping center · 2000

  The Loop

  The Loop is the open-air successor to Methuen Mall. Redeveloped around 2000, it replaced the enclosed mall format with a mix of large-format retail, entertainment, restaurants, and smaller service businesses. Home Depot, Marshalls, and AMC Theatres were among its principal tenants, while Pearle Vision represented continuity with the former mall's tenant base. The property is owned and managed by Charter Realty.

• 1996Expo-center repositioning

  Methuen, Massachusetts · Northeastern Massachusetts

  After a nearby convention center closed, the mall converted the former Ann & Hope area into an expo center in an effort to create new visitor traffic and alternative uses for underoccupied space. The first event was an all-night rave.

  Outcome. The initiative did not reverse the mall's broader decline, and the property continued toward closure and demolition.

  Source

• 2000

  Redevelop the enclosed mall as The LoopStrategy

  Background

  Methuen Mall had suffered prolonged vacancy, anchor departures, declining business, and the loss of nearly all tenants.

  Action taken

  The Brickstone Companies and The Wilder Companies replaced the enclosed mall with a non-enclosed shopping center focused on large-format retail, entertainment, and smaller businesses.

  Aftermath

  The Loop opened with tenants including Home Depot, Marshalls, and AMC Theatres. The successor center is owned and managed by Charter Realty.

  Source

• 1993

  Replace the departing Sears anchorStrategy

  Background

  Sears had moved to The Mall at Rockingham Park, leaving a large vacant anchor space at Methuen Mall.

  Action taken

  Ann & Hope was installed in the former Sears location.

  Aftermath

  Ann & Hope closed in 1995, and the mall subsequently lost Jordan Marsh as well, leaving no traditional department-store anchor.

  Source

• 1990

  Responding to competition from Rockingham ParkStrategy

  Background

  The planned Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, offered shoppers a newer regional center in a no-sales-tax state and was expected to include Sears.

  Action taken

  MetLife representatives evaluated the possibility that Sears would leave Methuen Mall and stated that they expected to be able to find another tenant if necessary.

  Aftermath

  Sears and Filene's Basement ultimately relocated to Rockingham Park, accelerating Methuen Mall's loss of regional traffic.

  • The Mall at Rockingham Park — The newer Salem, New Hampshire, mall competed directly for shoppers and anchor tenants, benefiting from the state's lack of sales tax.

  Source

1. 1The Loop (shopping center)en.wikipedia.org