 Towson Square in August 2018, prior to Circle East construction | |
 | |
| Location | Towson, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 E Joppa Rd |
| Opening date | 2013 (Towson Square) 2021 (Circle East) |
| Developer | The Cordish Companies and Heritage Properties Inc. (Towson Square) Retail Properties of America (Circle East) |
| Management | Kite Realty Group[1] |
| Owner | Kite Realty Group |
| Stores and services | 2 as of July 2025 |
| Anchor tenants | 1 as of July 2025 |
| Floor area | 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2) |
| Floors | 1 |
| Parking | Lighted Lot, parking garage, 850 spaces |
| Website | https://www.circleeast.com/ |
Towson Square, originally known as Towson Circle III while in planning, is an outdoor mall constructed between 2013 and 2014 in Towson, Maryland. The outdoor mall was estimated to cost $85 million[2] to be built by its developers, The Cordish Companies and Heritage Properties, Inc.[3] It is anchored by a 16-screen movie theater operated by Cinemark.[4]
The development now occupies an area that was primarily parking lots located between East Joppa Road, Delaware, Virginia, and East Pennsylvania avenues. The developer intended to incorporate into a planned park an existing, an historic cemetery that borders on Shealy Avenue.[5] Shealy Avenue crosses roughly through the center of the development's property.
History
[edit]On Thursday, July 10, 2014, Cinemark officially opened its 15 screen movie theater at Towson Square as part of its 30-year anniversary celebrations.[6] The theater featured Cinemark's then newest concept, a reserve level where people could actually reserve specific luxury seats in a special area and have an expanded food selection and alcoholic beverages. It also features Cinemark's NextGen concept that has been described as offering "the latest technology and amenities under one roof."[7] The Baltimore Sun reported that the Towson Cinemark theater is Cinemark's official international flagship movie theater, replacing its former international flagship location in Dallas, Texas. As of July 2025, Cinemark is the last remaining tenant in Towson Square.
Circle East
[edit]Circle East, formerly known as Towson Circle, is a major mixed-use development, transforming Towson Circle into a walkable hub of retail, dining, entertainment, and residences.
History
[edit]Where Circle East now stands, it used to be the site of a former Hutzler's department store that operated there since 1952. However, it closed in 1990 because the company was liquidating all of its stores due to business decline in the 1980s. In late 1996, two developers began redeveloping the former Hutzler's into a shopping center called Towson Circle.[8]
In 1998, Towson Circle's first phase was completed. The former Hutzler's was replaced with Barnes & Noble, which opened the same year. It also included Trader Joe's.[9]
In 2014, Towson Square was sold to Retail Properties of America Inc. (RPAI)[10] for $40.5 million, thus allowing them to integrate the development adjacent into one entity called Circle East.[11]
The development of Circle East required Barnes & Noble and Trader Joe's to close their Towson Circle locations. Barnes & Noble closed its doors in June 2017. [12]
Trader Joe's relocated to the Shops at Kenilworth, which is also in Towson. Barnes & Noble has not relocated in Towson but has continued to operate in the Pratt Street Power Plant in the Inner Harbor until August 2020, and its Avenue at White Marsh location.
Circle East opened its first tenants in early 2021. Its current tenants include Shake Shack, which replaced the former Barnes & Noble space, Ethan Allen, and Sodium Tackle.[13]
Decline and future redevelopment
[edit]While Towson Square was successful in its heyday, it has experienced significant decline, leading to its description by many as a "ghost-town”.
Restaurant closures
[edit]Bobby's Burger Palace and World of Beer closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2023, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse closed as part of a nationwide decision to close five underperforming locations. Bonefish Grill also closed in 2023.[14] In March 2025, On the Border closed due to bankruptcy.[15] In July 2025, Nando's Peri-Peri closed its location in Towson Square because it chose not to renew its lease after a decade.[16] With the massive number of store closures, this directed tourists and locals away from Towson Square to other shopping centers in Towson, like the nearby Towson Town Center, and even other shopping centers in the Baltimore area like Arundel Mills.
As of July 2025, nearly all the restaurants around the Cinemark theater are shut down.
Future redevelopment
[edit]In September 2025, Kite Realty announced that it was now "exploring all options" to reconfigure the vacant spaces and transform the shopping center into more than just strictly being focused on restaurants and entertainment. The company stated that "it is evaluating a range of opportunities" for Towson Square, but no redevelopment plan has been announced yet.[17]
Gallery
[edit]-
Towson Circle's Barnes & Noble bookstore in August 2015. -
Former Bonefish Grill restaurant in September 2023.
References
[edit]- ^ "Our Story - Circle East". Circle East. 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "TOWSON SQUARE". CURRY ARCHITECTS. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Tyler Waldman (June 27, 2012). "Towson Circle III Construction Could Begin This Summer". Towson Patch. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ Tyler Waldman (January 27, 2012). "16-Screen Cinemark Theater to Anchor Towson Circle III". Towson Patch. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ Jon Meoli (February 8, 2012). "Century-old cemetery is unlikely tenant for Towson Circle III". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ "Cinemark Celebrates 30th Anniversary". Cinemark Holdings, Inc. July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Cinemark Announces Grand Opening of New 15-Screen Complex in Towson, Maryland". Cinemark Announces Grand Opening of New 15-Screen Complex in Towson, Maryland. Cinemark Holdings, Inc. July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ^ "Two developers join to revive Hutzler's site long vacant building will be retail center called Towson Circle". Baltimore Sun. December 10, 1996. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ "Towson's old Hutzler's to get a Barnes & Noble first tenant is signed for what will be known as Towson Circle". Baltimore Sun. March 23, 1998. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ "Towson Circle owner purchases neighboring development for $40.5 million". Bizjournals.co.za. November 4, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ "Circle East". RPAI. August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ "Towson Barnes & Noble closing due to proposed construction area". Baltimore Fishbowl. February 21, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Shake Shack 2nd tenant at new Circle East in Towson". Chain Store Age. 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "Bonefish Grill Towson MD". Next Door. 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ "On the Border Mexican Restaurant closes in Towson". WMAR 2 News. March 14, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Nando's Towson Restaurant closing". WMAR 2 News. May 28, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "As vacancies pile up, Towson retail hub owner looks at 'opportunities'". Baltimore Business Journal. September 2, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.