More Entertainment Options, Luxury Stores Are Keys To MD Mall's Revival

Editor's Note: This is the first story in a three-part series on the future of the Annapolis Mall. Part two will focus on shifting plans for JCPenney and the New Village Academy. The final section will cover the potential for housing at the mall.

ANNAPOLIS, MD — When Mariah Michaud speaks, she gazes at an aerial photo of the Annapolis Mall like it's her crystal ball. A grin creeps over her face, revealing her unshakeable belief that the shopping center's best days lie ahead.

But what about the ongoing retail apocalypse that has shuttered brick-and-mortar stores nationwide? Michaud, the mall's new general manager, thinks she has the secret sauce to resurrect the once-beating heart of the community.

"People have been talking about the mall dying for over a decade," Michaud told Patch in an exclusive interview. "What's happening to the dying mall? How do we repurpose the dying mall? This is not a dying mall, but there are plenty of them in the rest of the country."

Michaud and the new Annapolis Mall owners firmly believe the key to another golden era is expanding entertainment options, diversifying the tenant mix and building residential housing. That formula aspires to deliver a mixed-use town center where residents can live, work and play.

Related:

• JCPenney Redevelopment, New Village Academy Stall At Annapolis Mall
• Housing At Annapolis Mall Could Create 'Live, Work, Play' Community

Battling Stigma Of Dying Malls

The wheels are already in motion. DICK's House of Sport and Dave & Buster's are both under construction. A chicken restaurant just replaced a long-vacant bank, and a craft beer taproom will succeed a closed chain restaurant.

There have been some shakeups along the way. A proposal to close the JCPenney and replace it with a supermarket and a gym is now up in the air, with the department store seeking a long-term lease. Weeks earlier, a charter school heralded as the future of education scrapped its plans to open at the mall.

An ownership group headlined by Centennial bought the mall for $160 million last July from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Paris-based URW said it's undergoing a "radical reduction of financial exposure in the U.S."

Centennial, a real estate firm headquartered in Dallas, saw potential in Annapolis.

"It is a dominant retail property that is very productive and is in a really good market, a growing market. There is, in our opinion, little competition to the project," Centennial founder and CEO Steven Levin said. "We really see Annapolis as becoming something much, much, much brighter."

Centennial hired Michaud in January to bring the vision to fruition. The Maine native has two decades of commercial real estate experience. She most recently worked in San Francisco, running retail, office and mixed-use properties. Centennial lured her to Annapolis with its promise of heavy investment to reinvent the mall.

"These owners are serious," Michaud said. "They have a lot of money. We have a lot of intelligent, well-connected people who have put together a really brilliant plan."

New Owners Want To Reinvent Mall

DICK's House of Sport and Dave & Buster's were the first additions that Centennial announced last September. DICK's will fill the Nordstrom vacancy, bringing a rock climbing wall and golf simulators alongside its normal athletic gear. Dave & Buster's will feature arcade games for all ages and a sports bar for adults.

"DICK'S House of Sport … is not just a place to go buy things; it's a place to go do things," Levin said.

DICK's is expected to open in late 2025 or early 2026. Dave & Buster's is anticipated in early 2026, and its location will be announced soon.

A restaurant and a bar will soon debut in free-standing buildings that have been vacant for years in the mall parking lot.

Guatemalan chicken eatery Pollo Campero opened outside Crate & Barrel on Wednesday, replacing the former M&T Bank that closed nearly seven years ago.

World of Beer, known for its plethora of draft brews, is slated to open by early fall in the former Applebee's that has been closed since late 2020. That's located outside the old Forever 21, a fast-fashion clothier that closed last month.

"While we anticipated this closure, like many other Forever 21 stores, the loss of any retailer provides us with the opportunity to execute on our plans for new offerings that may better match the changing wants and needs of our community," Michaud said after the closure. "Our leasing team also has a number of other leases currently in negotiations, which we expect to be able to announce over the coming months."

Healthy Occupancy Rate

Michaud said the mall's leased occupancy is over 85%, a rate she deemed "fantastic" compared to peers.

The mall could also convert its back-of-house spaces, like storage areas and offices, to be accessible to the public. This would create even more storefronts, maximizing leasable square footage without constructing a new wing to the building.

Mall leaders are targeting luxury brands, upscale clothing and healthier food options. Michaud wants to revamp the food court, maintaining classics like Chick-fil-A and Five Guys while recruiting fresh and nutritious alternatives for health-conscious clientele. Real Fruit Bubble Tea, a stand that opened this January in the food court, demonstrates that trend.

A Swarovski crystal store, opening this fall, is one such luxury addition. Others include three premium vending machines — AG1, Therabody and Anastasia Beverly Hills — installed recently next to lululemon. The mall said it's the first in the U.S. to add these wellness and beauty vending machines.

The changes partially stem from a December shopper survey that generated almost 2,000 responses. Michaud said she read every comment.

Meeting Customer Expectations

"I've heard the community voice since December, and they want more. They want the Annapolis Mall back," Michaud said.

Three recent moves exhibit the center's shifting preference for entertainment.

Kako Claw, a claw machine arcade, opened in January in the food court where AT&T once was.

Be With Me Playseum, an interactive recreation venue for kids, is opening this summer. It will replace Waikiki, a women's clothing store where every item was under $10. Waikiki opened in April 2023 and shuttered in February 2025, the same month that Rack Room Shoes closed. C F Furniture will fill the shoe store vacancy.

Jolly Yolly Kids, an indoor play and learning center, will open near Crate & Barrel by this autumn.

"Years ago, shopping was really the form of entertainment," Levin said. "Today, shopping is still very relevant, but it is not the primary form of entertainment."

These additions will continue the momentum of previously added experiential and non-traditional tenants.

Ball At The Mall replaced a mattress store with an indoor pickleball court in November 2024. The mall's branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library is one of the county's busiest, and it's undergoing an expansion slated to finish this summer.

Live Arts MD is home to choir and orchestra performances, while Retro Fitness and Champions Martial Arts offer a gym and a dojo down the hall. The SPCA of Anne Arundel County runs a cat and small animal adoption facility in the mall, and Sola has salon studios on site.

The mall has hosted circuses and a gigantic bounce house in the parking lot. It's also eyeing a car show and autograph sessions with the Annapolis Blues semi-professional soccer team.

Outgoing businesses include 7-Eleven, which closed in early 2024 under prior ownership, and Toy Depot, which shuttered two units away this January.

The mall has also appointed a new security director, upgraded all lighting to energy-efficient LEDs and installed water-saving fixtures in the restrooms. The parking lots are currently getting new paint, striping and signage.

"We've got our work cut out for us. We've got a five- to seven-year plan here," Michaud said. "It's going to take more than a couple months to make the changes that we're looking at."

Related:

• Pollo Campero Opening Chicken Restaurant Soon Outside Annapolis Mall
• Annapolis JCPenney Won't Close In May, Will Stay Open Through August
• Charter School Cancels 2025 Opening At Mall Amid Trump Cuts, Tariffs
• Forever 21 Closure Date At Annapolis Mall Announced Amid Bankruptcy
• Retailer JCPenney To Close MD Location In 2025
• DICK'S, Dave & Buster's Opening At Recently Sold Annapolis Mall
• Annapolis Mall Sold Amid Changing Retail Scene: Report