The Solomon Pond Mall is a two-level enclosed

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

located off Interstate 290, near its terminus at Interstate 495, in

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

and Berlin, Massachusetts. The mall features

JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...

and

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

(originally

Filene's Filene's (formally William Filene & Sons Co.) was an American department store chain; it was founded by William Filene in 1881. The success of the original full-line store in Boston, Massachusetts, was supplemented by the foundation of its off-p ...

) as anchors with one vacant anchor last occupied by

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

History

The mall opened in 1996 and was one of many that opened along the Interstate 495 corridor from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Initially the mall's location seemed remote as it was located far from other retail. However, the mall was able to strategically target both the affluent and booming western crescent of suburbs of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, while simultaneously serving as the largest mall for the

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

area. In comparison to other mid-range malls along the Interstate 495 corridor, the Solomon Pond Mall attempted to shoot for the upscale by courting some higher end tenants such as

Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ...

Swarovski Crystal Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...

and several jeweler chains. Some of the higher end tenants include

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and

Apple Store The Apple Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. The stores sell various Apple products, including Mac personal computers, iPhone smartphones, iPad tablet computers, Apple Watch smartwatches, Apple TV digital me ...

. On February 15, 2021, it was announced that

would be closing as part of a plan to close 34 stores nationwide. The store closed on May 2, 2021. As of 2021, the mall is currently managed by Pacific Retail Capital Partners. It was managed by

Simon Property Group Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust that invests in shopping malls, outlet centers, and community/lifestyle centers. It is the largest owner of shopping malls in the United States and is headquartered in India ...

as recently as May 2021.

Gallery

File:Solomon Mall second tier.jpg, The second floor of the Solomon Pond Mall on Boxing Day 2016 File:Solomon Pond Mall.jpg, The sign on the Solomon Pond Mall on Boxing Day 2016 File:Solomon Pond Mall JC Penney.jpg, The exterior of JCPenney in the Solomon Pond Mall in 2016 which is now selling appliances, JCPenney stopped selling appliances in 2019

References

External links

* {{Shopping malls in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Shopping malls established in 1996 Shopping malls in Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Pacific Retail Capital Partners