WOODLAWN, Md. — Baltimore County plans to spend $10 million to buy the former Sears building at Security Square Mall in Woodlawn, announced County Executive Johnny Olszewski today.
It's part of a total $20 million that the state and county is spending to revitalize the mall.
The purchase must still be approved by the County Council on Sept. 6, and will go to closing by Sept. 30.
Plans for the site remain unknown. The county will launch a charrette - a community forum - to map out new plans for Security Square Mall, which has long been virtually deserted.
The county will sign a $10 million contract with property owner TF Baltimore MD LLC to buy 18 acres of land that includes the 202,653-square-foot building that once housed Sears. The $10 million had been committed in the Fiscal Year 2023 capital budget; state capital funding will also be used.
In April, the county razed the former Bennigan's building, and the Randallstown NAACP announced that Chick-fil-A is coming to the mall, but Outback Steakhouse dropped out.
The county is now also contracting with JMT, Ayers Saint Gross and Landwise to lead the charrette process to decide the mall's future. The charrette will take place this fall. The county said a timeline and more details will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Olszewski said in a statement: “The Security Square Mall site is a critical anchor for the communities on the west side of Baltimore County, and our administration is committed to revitalizing the area and making sure it will serve as a vibrant community hub for years to come. This timely purchase demonstrates the County’s commitment to making the community’s vision for the site a reality.”
Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who is from Baltimore County, noted:
“The communities surrounding Security Square need and deserve reinvestment. Funding from Baltimore County and the State of Maryland to purchase the Sears Building is an important and necessary step in the revitalization of the Security Square Mall area.”
Baltimore County Council Speaker Julian Jones and Councilman Tom Quirk both said they're happy to see the project keep moving forward, and called the purchase "transformative" for the community.
