Once thought of as a local Rodeo Drive, stores at Mazza Gallerie have been closing over the last few years. Now the very last retail business in the mall has closed. What will become of the site?
Mazza Gallerie, the largely empty shopping center along Wisconsin Avenue at the D.C.-Maryland border, used to be thought of as a local Rodeo Drive. But its stores have been closing over the last few years and now the very last retail business in the mall has closed.
The T.J. Maxx closed permanently on Christmas Eve, though some shoppers were surprised to find the store completely empty days before. The once popular AMC movie theater closed in February of last year after business was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Developer Tishman Speyer acquired the Friendship Heights building in May 2021 and announced it will redevelop it as apartments, but retaining a large portion for retail, as well as parking.
The project will include 350 multifamily units and 26,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to Eagle Bank which provided $26 million in financing to the development company for its acquisition.
The Friendship Heights mall was built in 1979 and was once a bustling retail and dining destination, but became a ghost-town during the pandemic as less and less shoppers were around to give it purpose.
WTOP’s Jeff Clabaugh contributed to this report.
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