Towson Place
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Towson Place
| image =
| image_width =
| caption =
| location = Towson, Maryland
| coordinates = {{coord|39|23|41.5|N|76|34|53|W|region:US-MD_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| address = 1238 Putty Hill Ave. Towson, MD
| opening_date = 1962 (Eudowood)
1998 (Towson Place)
| closing_date = December 1995 (Eudowood)
| developer = Food Fair
| manager = Kimco Realty
| owner = Kimco Realty
| architect = Kimco Realty
| number_of_stores = 20+
| number_of_anchors = 10
| floor_area = {{cvt|679,843|sqft}}{{cite web|url=http://legacy.kimcorealty.com/File/MarketingBrochure/webapps/webprints/Flyer_SMDT1104.pdf|title=Leasing flyer|work=Kimco Realty|accessdate=5 October 2013}}
| floors = Outdoor, 2 In Haverty's and Walmart
| website =
| belowstyle =
| footnotes =
| publictransit = {{bus icon|12px}} MTA Maryland bus: 36, 53, CityLink Green
}}
Towson Place, formerly Eudowood Plaza and Towson Marketplace, is an outdoor shopping center in Towson, Maryland. Opened in 1962, it was redeveloped extensively in 1998. The shopping center's major stores include Target, Walmart, Weis Markets, Marshalls, Burlington, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, PetSmart, Michaels, TJ Maxx, and Havertys. It is managed by Kimco Realty.
History
Eudowood Plaza opened August 23, 1962. The open-air mall was developed by the supermarket chain Food Fair, which was an anchor store along with Montgomery Ward and Woolworth.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/542399594|title=Eudowood Plaza Sets Its Official Opening|date=August 19, 1962|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013|id={{ProQuest|542399594}} }} A Best Products was added in 1978.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1996/05/14/tilted-best-to-tumble-in-towson-architecture-the-best-products-store-at-towson-marketplace-has-become-a-local-landmark-the-building-is-scheduled-to-be-razed-as-part-of-a-20-million-renovation-of-the-s/|title=Tilted Best to Tumble in Towson|last=Loudermilk|first=Suzanne|date=May 14, 1996|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=5 October 2013}} The Best building was one of the stores designed by Sculpture in the Environment (SITE) for that chain, featuring a 450-ton masonry facade tilted at a 35-degree angle.{{cite book|last=Schehlein|first=Melissa|title=Towson|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQqO1PojQJgC&q=%22eudowood+plaza%22+%22best+products%22&pg=PA60|year=2011|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|page=60|isbn=9780738587349}}
In 1981, Bramalea Limited bought the mall. The company spent $9 million to enclose the concourses and add discount retailers. It was at this point that the center was renamed Towson Marketplace. As part of these renovations, the Woolworth store was replaced with Marshalls.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/537854737|title=Marshalls to open first area store in Towson|last=James|first=Ellen L.|date=January 5, 1983|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=5 October 2013|id={{ProQuest|537854737}} }} Despite these renovations, the mall remained poorly tenanted in the 1990s, and lacked visibility from nearby Joppa Road.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1994/05/21/marketplace-is-given-back-to-lenders/|title=Marketplace is given back to lenders|last=Mullaney|first=Timothy J.|date=May 21, 1994|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013}}
Bramalea sold off the mall in 1991.{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/407143145|title=Struggling Towson Marketplace sold|last=Martin|first=Ellen James|date=October 19, 1991|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013|id={{ProQuest|407143145}} }} By December 1995, the mall was under the ownership of Talisman, who proposed to demolish most of the structure. By year's end, the last inline tenants had closed, leaving only Marshalls, Toys "R" Us, Montgomery Ward, Best Products, and Herman's World of Sporting Goods.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1995/12/27/mall-merchants-pack-up-memories-towson-marketplace-retailers-make-way-for-major-renovation/|title=Mall merchants pack up memories Towson Marketplace retailers make way for major renovation|last=Loudermilk|first=Suzanne|date=December 27, 1995|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013}} Four months later, the Best Products store was demolished to make way for construction of a Target.{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1997/04/19/best-store-tilted-wall-tumbles-down-towson-landmark-goes-in-center-renovation/|title=Best store tilted wall tumbles down Towson landmark goes in center renovation|last=Loudermilk|first=Suzanne|date=April 19, 1997|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013}} Throughout 1997 and 1998, the center was largely demolished for conversion to a power center, which included PetSmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Super Fresh, Sports Authority, TJ Maxx, and Michaels along with the existing Montgomery Ward, Toys "R" Us, and Marshalls stores.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/1997/12/22/story5.html|title=Towson Marketplace undergoing a rebirth|last=Kaiser|first=Rob|date=December 22, 1997|work=Baltimore Business Journal|accessdate=October 5, 2013}}
Montgomery Ward later closed its store when the chain went out of business in 2001. A two-story portion of the new center featured Today's Man on the lower level and DSW on the upper level. In 2004, DSW moved its store down to the space vacated by Today's Man after that store closed, and Filene's Basement opened its first Maryland store in DSW's original location.{{cite web|url=http://archives.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/6026515/new-covenant-pact-rides-wave-change-towson-place/|title=New covenant pact rides wave of change at Towson Place|last=Ingraham|first=Lori|date=October 1, 2003|work=The Baltimore Sun|accessdate=5 October 2013}}
Kimco Realty bought the center in February 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2004/02/23/daily25.html|title=Kimco buys Towson Place|date=February 25, 2004|work=Baltimore Business Journal|accessdate=October 5, 2013}} just as Walmart moved into the space vacated by Montgomery Ward.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BDRB&d_place=BDRB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=100FB175551BCF95&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Revived Towson Place sells for $85 million|date=February 26, 2004|work=The Daily Record|accessdate=October 5, 2013}} Reflecting its former Montgomery Ward department store configuration, the Wal-Mart has two levels with escalators. Filene's Basement closed and became Havertys in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2012/06/20/havertys-furniture-store-will-open-in-towson/|title=Havertys furniture store will open in Towson|last=Mirabella|first=Lorraine|date=June 20, 2012|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=October 5, 2013}} Super Fresh closed in 2012 and became Weis Markets a year later.{{cite web|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/towson/ph-tt-weis-opening-0227-20130225,0,6030024.story|title=Weis Markets poised to open at Towson Place|last=Meoli|first=Jon|date=February 26, 2013|work=The Baltimore Sun|accessdate=5 October 2013}} Sports Authority closed in 2016 due to its bankruptcy and was replaced by Burlington in 2018.{{cite news |last1=Patch |title=Burlington Opening Towson Store |url=https://news.yahoo.com/burlington-opening-towson-store-192050546.html |access-date=7 March 2024}}
On June 29, 2018, Toys "R" Us closed all their stores in the U.S. including the one at Towson Place.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/03/15/how-toys-became-island-misfit-toys/7Mj4f2zexsLABCr2yXRAUO/story.html|title = How Toys 'R' Us became the island of misfit toys - the Boston Globe| website=The Boston Globe }} Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in that space in 2019.{{cite web |last1=Laine |first1=Ave'on |title=Bargain outlet set to open in Towson |url=https://thetowerlight.com/bargain-outlet-set-to-open-in-towson/ |website=The Towerlight |date=12 February 2019 |access-date=7 March 2024}} DSW also relocated that year.
On April 24, 2023, It was announced that Bed Bath & Beyond would be closing as part of a plan to close all 360 Bed Bath & Beyond and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores nationwide due to bankruptcy. The store closed on July 30.{{cite web |last1=Belt |first1=Deb |title=Bed Bath & Beyond Files For Bankruptcy, MD Closing Sales To Start |url=https://patch.com/maryland/across-md/bed-bath-beyond-files-bankruptcy-md-closing-sales-start |website=Patch |date=24 April 2023 |access-date=7 March 2024}}
On March 6, 2024, it was announced that Walmart would be closing on April 5 due to underperformance.{{cite web |last1=Hoffman |first1=Hannah |title=Towson Walmart to close in April due to underperformance |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/towson-walmart-closing-april-2024/60114431 |website=WBAL-TV 11 |date=6 March 2024 |access-date=7 March 2024}}