Laurel Shopping Center

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Laurel Shopping Center


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opening_date = 1956
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developer= Berman Enterprises LP
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website = [http://www.shopsatlaurel.com/ Laurel Shopping Center]
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Laurel Shopping Center is an open air shopping complex located in Laurel, Maryland, on U.S. Route 1 just south of Maryland Route 198, and is positioned next to Laurel Mall.

History

The $2 million shopping center on 15 acres was developed by Berman Enterprises LP and opened on November 14, 1956, with 30 stores. ["Laurel Shopping Center to Open," "The Washington Post and Times Herald", Nov 7, 1956, p. C15.] The developers also developed the Ingleside Shopping Center near Baltimore, Maryland. It currently contains a Giant Food, CVS/Pharmacy, Books-A-Million, Marshalls, Laurel Cinema 6 movie theatre, Champions Billiards, Petco, and several other stores.

On April 24, 1964, the Hecht Company opened a 83,714 square foot store, its sixth location in the Washington, D.C. area, at the center. ["Hecht's to Open Sixth Store Today in Laurel," "The Washington Post, Times Herald", Apr 24, 1964, p. D9.] A notable feature of the store at its opening was the French Provincial beauty salon and snack bar. The store closed and moved to adjacent Laurel Mall in 1981.

The shopping center's claim to fame came in 1972, when Alabama Governor George Wallace was wounded in an assassination attempt while campaigning for the presidency. Wallace survived the assassination attempt but was left paralyzed from the waist down. A Bank of America currently stands on the exact spot of the assassination attempt, at coordinates coord|39|5|46|N|76|51|16|W|type:landmark|name=Location of George Wallace assassination attempt.

Anchors and major retailers

*Giant Food
*Marshalls (formerly Hecht's (part))
*Petco

Former anchors

*Hecht Company

References

External links

* [http://www.shopsatlaurel.com/ Laurel Shopping Center]
* [http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/analysis/back.time/9605/29/index.shtml CNN: George Wallace's Appointment in Laurel]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/daily/sept98/wallace051672.htm Washington Post: Wallace is shot]