Last Remaining Anchor Store At Waterford Mall Will Close: Reports

WATERFORD, CT — JCPenney, the last remaining anchor store at the Crystal Mall, will close by May 25, Hearst Connecticut reported. Once the location closes, there will be five JCPenney stores remaining in the state in Danbury, Farmington, Manchester, Trumbull, and Waterbury.

The store will be selling its merchandise at discounts of up to 50 percent, The Day of New London reported.

A representative from Namdar Realty Group said that the company is with retailers on filling vacancies at the food court and elsewhere in the mall. Mall officials have also been in discussion with Waterford town leaders regarding "various redevelopment avenues for Crystal Mall," according to Hearst Connecticut.

In 2023, the mall was sold at auction to Namdar Realty Group. The company owns 289 retail properties, including the Enfield Square Mall and the Meriden Mall.

Once a busy mecca for shoppers, the mall has seen rising vacancies in recent years, with anchor stores like Macy's and Bed, Bath & Beyond closing their doors. Sears was sold at auction last year, and the Christmas Tree Shops outlet closed last year. Several restaurants left the mall's food court recently.

Located at 850 Hartford Turnpike in Waterford, the mall was built in 1984 with additional construction in 1987. The two-story, 535,494-square-foot mall sits on 82 acres.

JCPenney closed another Connecticut store in Torrington in 2020. The closure came amid an announcement from the company that it would be closing 154 of its locations nationwide.

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The managers of mall properties across the state are exploring their options due to a decline in business, with several considering redevelopment for residential usage. At the site of Westbrook Outlets, a developer is pitching a massive, $425 million development with 595 apartments, 100 townhomes, a new hotel, restaurants, and entertainment space.

A developer has plans to convert an abandoned Lord & Taylor space at the Danbury Fair Mall into 144 residential units.

In Milford, the Connecticut Post Mall's owners have gained zoning approval to allow housing on the site. This could come in three phases, with each phase adding 250 residential units.

See related: J.C. Penney Bankruptcy Shutters CT Store

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