Development Permits Are First Sign of Activity at Landover Mall Site

The owners of Landover Mall could soon begin knocking down walls at the closed shopping center. The Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources approved three permits two months ago to allow interior demolition of the mall and the installation of a temporary construction trailer on the property.

The permit approvals are the first sign of activity at the mall since Lerner Enterprises closed it in 2002. Lerner has not given any indications about the mall's future, although local real estate developers have said it is probably dead as a retail center.

Speculation about plans for it have included a center for county government offices and a new site for Prince George's Hospital Center . The most recent buzz is that it will become a residential development. Lerner Enterprises did not return calls last week to discuss the mall's future.

Landover Mall, which was once a popular regional shopping center, has sat mostly untouched since it closed. Only Sears , which owns and operates a retail store and auto repair center on the property, still has a presence there.

Across from the mall, the Landover Crossing shopping strip has also lost its anchor tenants. Most recently, Circuit City and Sam's Club closed their stores there. Circuit City opened a new store only a few miles away at the Boulevard at the Capital Centre in Largo.

Other new retail and residential development is planned for the area. A group of developers headed by Annapolis-based Petrie Ventures Inc . is planning to build a retail, office and residential project called Woodmore Towne Centre on 245 acres less than a quarter-mile south of Landover Mall.

"That is a very, very important corridor for the county, with the Redskins stadium and other commercial and residential revitalization going on," said Alfonso N. Cornish , the county's deputy chief administrative officer. "It is critical that Landover Mall be developed."

Trade Board Inauguration

The Prince George's County Board of Trade held its annual presidential inauguration Tuesday at Prince George's Community College . This year, the board will focus on promoting community-based businesses and providing value to its membership, said its new president, Jeffrey Franklin , who is also senior vice president of Old Line Bank . "We must become more vocal about county issues and legislation affecting business in the county," Franklin said.

Chamber's Annual Events

The Prince George's Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its yearly leadership breakfast and state of the economy program.

The leadership breakfast will be Feb. 27 at La Fontaine Bleu in Lanham and will include a discussion of public safety, schools, economic development and the local economy. Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R) is scheduled to speak, and county officials and state legislators have been invited to attend.

The state of the economy event will be March 23 at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt. County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) will talk about business issues. After the speech, local business owners, developers and builders will display their projects.