The Centre at Golden Ring
Encyclopedia
Golden Ring Mall, formerly owned by Simon Properties, was a shopping mall located in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland
. It was located at U.S. Route 40
and Interstate 695
, and was at its peak when it opened in 1974. The grand opening, a resplendent affair, was set amid the fine artwork and spacious courtyards at the mall. The grand opening was created by George Reavis "Buck" Sappenfield III, a native of Sherman, Texas
, who brought the "bigger than Texas" celebration to East Baltimore. The mall included a center court filled with palm trees and fountains, as well as sculptures by Rita Blitt and Bogdan Grom. Sappenfield had created programs of similar largesse at Mounds Mall
in Anderson, Indiana
and Irving Mall
in Irving, Texas
. It would later face competition from White Marsh Mall
, Hunt Valley Mall, and Eastpoint Mall
. It has now been revitalized, and is known as The Centre at Golden Ring.
(known as The Hecht Company at the time), Montgomery Ward
, and Stewart's
(a local Baltimore area department store). When Stewart's closed its doors in the early 1980s, Caldor
took over the lease space. Golden Ring's demise began in the late 1980s, and was all but closed in 1990 when Hutzler's
at White Marsh Mall
closed. Hecht's opened a new location in White Marsh's former Hutzler's space in 1992. The Hecht's and Montgomery Ward stayed open until the mall closed. Caldor closed in the late 1990s, and Simon closed the mall in early 2001.
In early 2002, Simon Properties sold the failing mall to Petrie Ventures, Inc. and Heritage Development Co. of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
for $14 million.
Retail space has been downsized from 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) to 480000 square feet (44,593.5 m²). New property agents were brought in to put together a good tenant roster, which offered products and services that better matched the demographics of the area
Wal-Mart
(157500 square feet (14,632.2 m²)), Home Depot (138000 square feet (12,820.6 m²)) and Sam's Club
(131500 square feet (12,216.7 m²)) now serve as anchors. Leases for the final phase of the project were quickly signed with a variety of retailers and restaurants including Petco
, Mattress Warehouse, GameStop, and Panera Bread.
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
. It was located at U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 in Maryland
U.S. Route 40 in the U.S. state of Maryland runs from western Maryland to Cecil County in the state's northeastern corner. With a total length of over , it is the longest numbered highway in Maryland. Almost half of the road overlaps with Interstate 68 or Interstate 70, while the old alignment...
and Interstate 695
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
, and was at its peak when it opened in 1974. The grand opening, a resplendent affair, was set amid the fine artwork and spacious courtyards at the mall. The grand opening was created by George Reavis "Buck" Sappenfield III, a native of Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, who brought the "bigger than Texas" celebration to East Baltimore. The mall included a center court filled with palm trees and fountains, as well as sculptures by Rita Blitt and Bogdan Grom. Sappenfield had created programs of similar largesse at Mounds Mall
Mounds Mall
Mounds Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in the city of Anderson, Indiana, United States. Opened in 1965, it was the first enclosed shopping mall developed by Simon Property Group. The center features three anchor stores: two Elder-Beerman locations and Sears, as well as a small food court...
in Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
and Irving Mall
Irving Mall
Irving Mall is a 2-story shopping center located in Irving, Texas, United States, at the intersection of 183 Airport Freeway and Belt Line Road. It has roughly 140 stores with six of them being the anchor tenants as well as a food court...
in Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
. It would later face competition from White Marsh Mall
White Marsh Mall
White Marsh Mall is a shopping mall in the unincorporated and planned community of White Marsh in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. The White Marsh Mall is one of the largest regional malls in the Baltimore area, with 5 anchor stores and 142 specialty shops in ....
, Hunt Valley Mall, and Eastpoint Mall
Eastpoint Mall
Eastpoint Mall is a mall in Dundalk, Maryland. The mall currently has 140 stores, including its anchors Sears and JC Penney.The food court at the mall has been the site of retirees from World War II to reminisce....
. It has now been revitalized, and is known as The Centre at Golden Ring.
History
The mall had three anchors: Hecht'sHecht's
Hecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
(known as The Hecht Company at the time), Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
, and Stewart's
Stewart's (department store)
Stewart's Department Store in Baltimore, Maryland, took its name in 1901 when Louis Stewart acquired the building of Posner's Department Store on the northeast corner of Howard and Lexington Streets. The chain was a founding member of Associated Dry Goods or ADG. It opened its first suburban store...
(a local Baltimore area department store). When Stewart's closed its doors in the early 1980s, Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
took over the lease space. Golden Ring's demise began in the late 1980s, and was all but closed in 1990 when Hutzler's
Hutzler's
Hutzler's, or Hutzler Brothers Company, was a department store founded in Baltimore by Abram G. Hutzler in 1858. From its beginning as a small dry goods store at the corner of Howard and Clay Streets in Downtown Baltimore, Hutzler's eventually grew into a chain of 10 department stores, all of...
at White Marsh Mall
White Marsh Mall
White Marsh Mall is a shopping mall in the unincorporated and planned community of White Marsh in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. The White Marsh Mall is one of the largest regional malls in the Baltimore area, with 5 anchor stores and 142 specialty shops in ....
closed. Hecht's opened a new location in White Marsh's former Hutzler's space in 1992. The Hecht's and Montgomery Ward stayed open until the mall closed. Caldor closed in the late 1990s, and Simon closed the mall in early 2001.
In early 2002, Simon Properties sold the failing mall to Petrie Ventures, Inc. and Heritage Development Co. of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Chagrin Falls is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland in the Northeast Ohio region, the 14th largest Combined Statistical Area nationwide. The village was established and has grown around a natural waterfall on the Chagrin River. As of the 2010 census,...
for $14 million.
The Centre at Golden Ring
The new owners brought about the successful revitalization of the mall, which has daily traffic estimated at 150,000 cars. In 2002, the two-level Golden Ring mall was demolished and the space reconfigured. The site is now occupied by an open-air shopping center called "The Centre at Golden Ring".Retail space has been downsized from 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) to 480000 square feet (44,593.5 m²). New property agents were brought in to put together a good tenant roster, which offered products and services that better matched the demographics of the area
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
(157500 square feet (14,632.2 m²)), Home Depot (138000 square feet (12,820.6 m²)) and Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
(131500 square feet (12,216.7 m²)) now serve as anchors. Leases for the final phase of the project were quickly signed with a variety of retailers and restaurants including Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
, Mattress Warehouse, GameStop, and Panera Bread.