Ballston Quarter
| File:Ballston Common.gif | |
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| Opening date | 1951 (as Parkington Shopping Center) |
|---|---|
| Management | Forest City Enterprises |
| No. of anchor tenants | 1 |
| Total retail floor area | 580,000 square feet |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Parking | 3,000 spaces |
| Website | Ballston Common Mall |
Ballston Common Mall, which originally opened as Parkington Shopping Center in 1951, was one of the first major suburban shopping centers in the Washington D.C. area. It was the first shopping center built around a multi-story parking garage in the United States.[1] It is located at the intersection of Glebe Road (Virginia State Route 120) and Wilson Boulevard in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia two blocks from the Orange Line Ballston-MU Station of the Washington Metro. The Ballston Common mall opened October 20, 1986, and was a $40 million replacement for the Parkington Shopping Center. The 530,000 square foot center was developed in limited partnership with the May Centers, a subsidiary of the May Company who, at the time, also owned one of the anchors, Hecht's.[2]
History
The $6.5 million Hecht's store opened in the Parkington Shopping Center on November 2, 1951. [3][4] At its opening, the five story, 300,000 square foot department store was the largest on the East coast.[5] A man was electrocuted during the construction of the store.[6] Over the years, the $15 million Parkington Shopping Center expanded to 30 stores including Giant Food, McCrory's, Hub Furniture, Crawford Clothes, Franc Jewelers, W.T. Grant, Wilbur-Rogers Women's Apparel, A.S. Beck Shoes, Brentano's Books, and Casual Corner. [7][8] In May 1974, J.C. Penney opened a 36,327 square foot soft line merchandise and catalog store.[9]
By 1982, the 30-year-old Parkington Shopping Center was in need of a facelift.[10] Beginning that year, Arlington County and the May Centers embarked on a $100 million renovation project and expansion of the shopping center. Part of this was a contest among Arlington residents for a name for the new mall. That contest was how "Ballston Common" came to be the mall's name.[11] After some complications, the renovated and expanded shopping center opened in the fall of 1986. In the early 2000s, the mall became home to the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, headquarters and practice facility for the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals.
The mall is also home to the DC location of the ComedySportz improv franchise.[12]
Anchors and major retailers
- Macy's (formerly Hecht's)
- Sport & Health Club
- Regal Cinemas
Former anchors
- Hecht's (converted to Macy's in 2006)
- J.C. Penney
References
- ^ Eno Transportation Foundation, "Parkington Shopping Center Design," Transportation Quarterly (1952, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 440-456.).
- ^ "Commercial Realty," The Washington Post Aug 4, 1986, p. WB38.
- ^ "Hecht Parkington Store Opens to 60,000 Shoppers," The Washington Post, Nov 3, 1951, p. 1.
- ^ "Hecht's New Virginia Shop Opens Today," The Washington Post, Nov 2, 1951, p. B1.
- ^ Display Ad for Hecht Company Parkington, The Washington Post and Times Herald, Jun 27, 1955, p. 40.
- ^ "Man Is Electrocuted, 2 Hurt, On Arlington Building Job," The Washington Post, Sep 15, 1951, p. B1.
- ^ "McCrory's to Be Fifth Store To Open Branch in Parkington," The Washington Post, Jun 19, 1952, p. 19.
- ^ Three New Stores Will Open On Thursday at Parkington, The Washington Post, Aug 6, 1952, p. 19.
- ^ Capital Commerce, by William H. Jones, The Washington Post, May 2, 1974, p. H12.
- ^ "Parkington Renewal Plan Unveiled," by Nancy Scannell, The Washington Post, Feb 18, 1982, p. B1.
- ^ "New Paint, More Space for Area Malls," by Alison O'Neill, The Washington Post, p. W1.
- ^ http://www.comedyindc.com/