BEL AIR, MD — Prep work for Derby Place, a 94,600-square-foot mixed used center, will start this summer.
SJC Ventures, a Georgia-based mixed use retail and multi-family development firm, announced it has closed on the former Macy's at the Harford Mall site. SJC Ventures purchased the former Macy's property from CBL Properties, which owned the entire mall property for more than 20 years.
The company will start clearing land in early July. This step marks the second phase of the mall's redevelopment. First tenant openings are projected for spring 2028 and pre-leasing efforts for the center are ongoing for restaurants, medical, soft goods retailers and service users.
Located at the intersections of Veterans Memorial Highway, Baltimore Pike and North Tollgate Road, the future Derby Place will be anchored by a 35,000-square-foot organic grocer and accented by 48,000 square feet of luxury boutiques, restaurants, shops and amenities.
SJC Ventures plans to incorporate pedestrian walkways in the space, forming a large mixed-use complex for residents and visitors that will include pocket parks and open space. The enhanced pedestrian and vehicular connectivity, with the creation of an access drive between Baltimore Pike and Boulton Street, will make shopping more accessible with a community hub. A residential component also will be at Derby Place with 249 multi-family units and an on-site parking deck. Construction on the residential portion is anticipated to start in fall 2026 by another developer.
During the first phase, SJC Ventures purchased and redeveloped the former Sears property at the Harford Mall and turned it into Shops of Harford Mall, which was completed in 2024.
“Over the course of six years, we have worked with the Town of Bel Air to share our vision for this transformational redevelopment project,” said Jeff Garrison, principal at SJC Ventures. “We are confident this will help solidify Bel Air as the centerpiece of Harford County and become an asset the community can be proud of. We look forward to the day this is a fully cohesive property with greenspace, and are excited to be a part of the next step in making that happen.”
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