Bel Air, Md. — SJC Ventures will begin the demolition process on the former Macy’s store at the Hartford Mall site in Bel Air, roughly 30 miles northeast of Baltimore. Interior demolition will kick off on July 22.
The property is being transformed into a new, 95,000-square-foot mixed-use development called Derby Place that will be anchored by a 35,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market. Other signed leases include Shake Shack and VEG ER for Pets. The community will also feature parks, pedestrian walkways and a 249-unit apartment complex. Construction on the multifamily component is expected to begin in the fall by a different developer. Vertical construction at Derby Place will begin this winter, with first tenant openings projected for spring 2028.
SJC Ventures closed on the property last month, marking the second phase of the mall redevelopment. CBL Properties still owns the remainder of the mall property and will be redeveloping it on a separate schedule.
CBL Properties has owned the entire mall property for more than 20 years and has been working to redevelop the property into a large-scale mixed-use destination. During the first phase, SJC Ventures purchased and redeveloped the former Sears property at the Harford Mall and turned it into Shops of Harford Mall, which was completed in 2024.