Department Store Slated For Closure Will Remain Open, At Least For Now

ANNAPOLIS, MD — JCPenney's department store at the Annapolis Mall will remain open through at least August, Patch confirmed Tuesday.

Plans to redevelop the store into a supermarket, gym and additional retailers are now up in the air as JCPenney said it hopes to remain in Annapolis long-term.

"Although previously announced that the JCPenney store at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, MD, would be closing its doors by May 16, 2025, we are excited to announce that we have agreed [to] a lease extension to keep the store open at least through August 31, 2025," the retailer told Patch in an email.

JCPenney said it is "continuing negotiations with our landlord for a new long-term lease."

Patch visited JCPenney on April 22. The closure signs had been replaced with a large red banner outside reading "We Are Open."

The merchandise selection was thinning out, with some discounts reaching 60% off.

"At this time, the store liquidation event has been stopped," JCPenney said on Tuesday.

Rather than laying off staff, JCPenney is hiring once again for its Annapolis location.

The previously planned closure was officially announced in February in a layoff warning required under state law. The announcement, which said 74 employees would be laid off, seemed to confirm a long-rumored redevelopment at the site.

Commercial real estate brokerage H&R Retail still has postings on its website advertising the redevelopment proposal.

Drawings show the current JCPenney being divided into a Grocery Outlet, Hobby Lobby, Onelife Fitness and two undetermined smaller retailers.

H&R Retail declined to comment for this story.

JCPenney hopes to instead remain in the building for the long haul, but its future beyond August is uncertain.

"We are optimistic that we can come to an agreement that will suit all parties involved, and that JCPenney can continue to serve our loyal customers in the Annapolis area for years to come," the company said.

The Annapolis Mall has made headlines several times this month.

New Village Academy, a tuition-free public charter school, on April 16 canceled its plans to open above The Container Store this fall. Forever 21 closed at the mall on Tuesday.

The announcements come during a time of change at the Annapolis Mall, which hopes to reinvent itself under new ownership.

An ownership group headlined by Centennial bought the mall for $160 million last July from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Paris-based URW has looked to sell many of its U.S. malls, instead turning toward luxury centers in Europe.

Centennial, a real estate firm headquartered in Dallas, plans to update the tenant mix at the Annapolis Mall. It envisions upscale retailers, experiential-based businesses, a wider variety of food options and the potential addition of housing down the line.

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