Visions for Vacancies: Owings Mills Mall

The Owings Mills Mall is 55 percent vacant. An eyesore for more than a decade now, the mall was given hope when Kimco announced plans to revamp the mall into an open, pedestrian-friendly retail center with connections to the movie theater and nearby development Metro Centre at Owings Mills.

Kimco's future plans are unclear, since Geoff Glazer, Kimco’s vice president of acquisitions and development for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, previously said Kimco would not redevelop the mall if the Solo Cup plant on Reisterstown Road was rezoned, making way for a Wegmans-anchored center called Foundry Row. That property was rezoned on August 28.

Brian Gibbons, CEO of Foundry Row developer Greenberg Gibbons, said his company is interested in the mall. A Pikesville developer, Carl Verstandig, has also expressed interest in buying the mall and bringing in big box stores and a discount supermarket.

What would you like to see the mall become? Tell us in the comments.

Is there a commercial vacancy you'd like to discuss? If so be sure to email editor Marc Shapiro (marc.shapiro@patch.com) and maybe it will be featured in the next Visions for Vacancies.