The Loop (shopping center)

{{short description|Shopping mall in Methuen, Massachusetts}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{infobox shopping mall | name = The Loop | location = [[Methuen, Massachusetts]], U.S. | image = Image:Loews Theatres, The Loop, Methuen MA.jpg |developer = First Hartford Realty | owner = Charter Realty | opening_date = September 4, 1973 (Methuen Mall)<BR>1999 (The Loop) | closing_date = 1997 (Methuen Mall) | previous_names = Methuen Mall |floor_area= {{convert|500406|sqft|m2}} (Methuen Mall)<ref>{{cite book|title=Directory of major malls|year=1990|publisher=MJJTM Publications Corp.|page=311}}</ref>{{convert|304000|sqft|m2}} (The Loop) | number_of_stores = 70+ (Methuen Mall)<BR>27(The Loop) | number_of_anchors = 2 (Methuen Mall)<br>4 (The Loop) | floors = 1 }} '''The Loop''', formerly '''Methuen Mall''', is a shopping mall in [[Methuen, Massachusetts]], United States. It was built in 1973 as an enclosed shopping mall on a {{convert|60|acre|m2|adj=on}} site and initially included Howlands and [[Sears]] as its [[Anchor tenant|anchor stores]], as well as 70 other retailers. In 1977, Howlands was replaced by [[Jordan Marsh]], while [[Filene's Basement]] was added in the 1980s. Methuen Mall suffered a significant loss in tenancy after both Sears and Filene's Basement moved to [[The Mall at Rockingham Park]] across the state line in [[Salem, New Hampshire]]. It remained in operation until 1997 and was demolished in early 1999, undergoing redevelopment soon afterward into a strip mall known as The Loop. Major tenants of The Loop are [[The Home Depot]], [[Marshalls]], and [[AMC Theatres]].

==History== In July 1972, [[Manchester, Connecticut]]–based First Hartford Realty announced construction of Methuen Mall. The site chosen for the mall was on [[Massachusetts Route 213]] between [[Interstate 93 in Massachusetts|Interstate 93]] and [[Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)|Interstate 495]], on a {{convert|22|acre|ha|adj=on}} plot of land which was previously a portion of the Mann family apple orchard. At the time of development, First Hartford Realty had confirmed that the mall would cost about $14 million to build, and would include [[Sears]] and [[White Plains, New York]]–based Howlands department store as the anchor stores.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/435475840/ | title=Real estate mart | work=[[Boston Globe]] | date=July 2, 1972 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=A9}}</ref> The original plans for the Methuen Mall were to have Sears and Sutherlands as its anchors. However, Sutherlands, a department store based in nearby downtown Lawrence, chose to expand its Essex Street store and open a second store in Andover instead, Both stores would close a few years later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.andovertownsman.com/news/local_news/sutherlands-fights-fleeting-time/article_8e15e24a-3a5a-54dc-9a37-91f400da33cc.html|title = Sutherland's fights fleeting time| date=19 March 2020 }}</ref> By January 1973, mall developers had confirmed that Sears would open by September, with the rest of the mall following soon afterward. The {{Convert|137000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} store included more than fifty departments for merchandise, as well as a {{convert|23000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} automotive repair center in the parking lot.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/46633410/ | title=New Sears opens in Methuen Sept. 4 | work=The Lowell Sun | date=August 26, 1973 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=E4}}</ref> Howlands, whose store was the largest in the chain, opened on September 17 in the spot intended for Sutherlands.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/46634389/ | title=Opening scheduled for new Howland department store | work=The Lowell Sun | date=September 4, 1973 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=16}}</ref> The rest of the mall then opened on November 5.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/46645421/ | title=Methuen Mall opens Nov. 5 | work=The Lowell Sun | date=November 5, 1973 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=2}}</ref> In 1977, Howlands closed and was replaced by [[Jordan Marsh]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/45865533/ | title=Jordan Marsh opening twelfth in chain of stores at Methuen Mall | work=The Lowell Sun | date=July 17, 1977 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=E5}}</ref>

In 1982, [[Filene's Basement]] opened a {{convert|25000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} store as the mall's third anchor.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/437228902/ | title=Filene's to open new basement store | work=The Boston Globe | date=October 9, 1982 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=21}}</ref> Sold to [[JMB Realty]] after development, the mall was sold again to [[MetLife]] in 1984 along with a [[Caldor]]-anchored strip mall adjacent to Methuen Mall, and [[Auburn Mall (Massachusetts)|Auburn Mall]] in [[Auburn, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/437388471/ | title=Insurer buys 3 Mass. malls | work=Boston Globe | date=June 8, 1984 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=37}}</ref>

===1990s=== In 1990, New England Development announced the development of [[The Mall at Rockingham Park]] across the state line in [[Salem, New Hampshire]].<ref name=woes/> Shortly before the opening of the Rockingham Park mall, the Methuen Mall had a vacancy rate of four percent.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 16, 1991|title=Fighting the Massachusetts recession|work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref> The building of the Rockingham Park mall posed major challenges for the Methuen Mall, due in part to New Hampshire's lack of sales tax.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Dabilis|first=Andy|date=July 14, 1996|title=Retail malls empty of customers, businesses|work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Walkowitz|first=Rebecca L.|date=August 15, 1991|title=A winner at Rockingham: New mall seen tough challenge for Methuen|work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Meyers|first=Jack|date=April 4, 1994|title=Northern Mass. pols again seek sales-tax exemptions|work=[[Boston Herald]]}}</ref> As the Rockingham Park mall would also contain a Sears among its anchor stores, MetLife representatives stated that they were unsure if Sears would shutter its Methuen store upon opening of the Salem location, but also felt that they would be able to secure a new tenant should the Sears close.<ref name=woes>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/439427264/ | title=Mass. woes moving experience for some firms to NH | work=Boston Globe | date=August 5, 1990 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=NH7}}</ref> By 1992, both Sears and Filene's Basement had moved to Mall at Rockingham Park.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/441386120/ | title=More shoppers at the stores, but spending levels unclear | work=Boston Globe | date=December 6, 1992 | accessdate=August 31, 2020 | pages=1, 7}}</ref>

[[Ann & Hope]] moved into the former Sears location in 1993. This store closed in 1995 along with Jordan Marsh, leaving the mall without an anchor.<ref name="loses">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/441055114/ | title=Methuen Mall loses last anchor store | work=The Boston Globe | date=November 5, 1995 | accessdate=August 28, 2020 | pages=9}}</ref> As of 1996, the mall had lost more than a quarter of its 65 tenants.<ref name=":1" /> When the only nearby convention center closed, the mall attempted a novel strategy to attract customers, opening an expo center in the former Ann & Hope.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/440940479/ | title=Valley Expo Center is new hope for Methuen Mall | work=The Boston Globe | date=March 17, 1996 | accessdate=August 28, 2020 | author=Davis Bushnell | pages=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Perkins|first=Anita|date=February 28, 1996|title=An experiment worth watching|work=[[The Eagle-Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Cassidy|first=Tina|date=February 17, 1996|title=Troubled mall turns to event-type tenant|work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Cole|first=Caroline Louise|date=July 5, 1998|title=Voice of youth helped shape planned entertainment/shopping mall|work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref> The center's first event was an all-night [[rave]].

Nonetheless, business continued to diminish at the mall until the only remaining tenant was an [[Applebee's]] restaurant.<ref name=":0" /> When new developers attempted to evict the Applebee's, it refused.<ref name=":0" /> The developers then demolished the rest of the mall around the restaurant. Eventually, it lost a long court battle and vacated the property.<ref name=":0">[https://web.archive.org/web/20241203051401/https://casetext.com/case/applebees-northeast-v-methuen-investors ''Applebee's Northeast v. Methuen Investors''], 709 N.E.2d 1143 (Mass. App. Ct. 1999).</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Van Voorhis|first=Scott|date=June 11, 1999|title=Applebee's restaurant ruling clears way for Methuen Mall makeover|volume=19|work=[[Boston Business Journal]]|issue=18}}</ref>

===Demolition and redevelopment=== When the Methuen Mall finally closed, the city of Methuen took a huge financial hit, seeing property tax revenue fall from US$60 million annually to US$18 million annually for the site alone.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Grillo|first=Thomas|date=May 23, 2004|title=Methuen Community Snapshot|work=[[Boston Globe]]|url=http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/articles/2004/05/23/methuen/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312042338/http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/articles/2004/05/23/methuen/|archive-date=March 12, 2007}}</ref> In 2000, the land was redeveloped by a joint venture between The Brickstone Companies and The Wilder Companies of Boston into a new project called The Loop.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bushnell |first1=Davis |title=The Loop gives new purpose to former mall |work=[[Boston Globe]] |date=August 12, 2000}}</ref> The new, non-enclosed shopping center has no real anchor stores, but contains a [[Home Depot]], [[AMC Theatres]], and [[Marshalls]], as well as about twenty smaller businesses, including [[Pearle Vision]], a store that was in the original Methuen Mall.

The [[Stop & Shop]] at the Loop closed in February 2020. Being replaced with two stores, One Stop Liquor, and BioLife.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Edelstein|first=Breanna|date=February 19, 2020|title=Stop & Shop to leave Methuen next week, earlier than planned|url=https://www.eagletribune.com/news/merrimack_valley/stop-shop-to-leave-methuen-next-week-earlier-than-planned/article_b9b0c744-b34a-5914-be11-90733f4c5aef.html|website=[[Eagle-Tribune]]|language=en}}</ref>

The Loop is owned and managed by Charter Realty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charterrealty.com/properties/the-loop/|title = The Loop}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.attheloop.com Official site] of The Loop

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loop, The (Methuen, Ma)}} [[Category:Buildings and structures in Methuen, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Shopping malls in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Shopping malls established in 2000]] [[Category:Methuen, Massachusetts]]