Tysons Corner Center

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Tysons Corner Center, located in Tysons Corner, Virginia (near McLean), opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping centers in the greater Washington area. It was also one of the first super-regional malls in the country, drawing customers from a multi-state area. The success of Tysons Corner Center had served as a model for similar malls around the country. Presently, the mall's four department store anchors are Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Hecht's (soon to be Macy's), and Lord & Taylor; a recent expansion (opened fall 2005) off the former JCPenney structure is anchored by a 16-screen AMC multiplex movie theater and a Barnes and Noble bookstore. Tysons Corner Center is the largest mall in the metropolitan area and the 6th-largest in the United States. A second, more upscale mall, called Tysons Galleria, operates across the street from Tysons Corner Center; it opened in 1988.

Soon after Tysons Corner Center was constructed, the land surrounding the area -- which had previously consisted of farms, auto dealers, and rural residences -- became prime real estate, prompting the construction of hotels, office buildings, and apartment complexes.

Originally, the mall consisted of 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m²), with one level, three department stores (Hecht's, which remains today; Lansburgh's; and Woodward & Lothrop), two movie theaters, and 100 specialty stores. Today, the mall has three levels, sixteen movie screens, and nearly 300 stores.

There are plans to extend the Washington Metro subway westward to Tysons Corner and eventually out to Dulles Airport. The Tysons Central 123 Silver Line station is planned to be on the north side of the shopping center where Tysons Boulevard crosses Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road).

External links

• Tysons Corner Center official site