Long-anticipated plans to revitalize the declining Security Square Mall into a vibrant walkable, mixed-use community hub and retail center gained a much-needed boost.
Baltimore County and mall owner Security Square Holding LLC issued a request for proposal (RFP) last fall seeking developers to transform approximately 69 acres of the mall property’s total 88 acres in Woodlawn. Two proposals were received soon after the December deadline and will be reviewed in the upcoming days, according to Dakarai Turner, press secretary for the County Executive’s Office.
In an unusual structure, Security Square Mall has operated with six owners. Decision-making about everything from maintenance to parking to physical improvements complicated management and stalled efforts to sell and develop the 1 million-square-foot property.
“That’s good news and I hope something comes out of this,†said a resident in the nearby Chadwick Manor community upon being told that development proposals have been received. “Every time I go to Weis [nearby supermarket] I have to look at these big white blocky buildings,†she said, in reference to the vacant former Macy’s and Sears buildings.
About three years ago, Baltimore County began to strategically acquire mall acreage at the site in anticipation of redevelopment and to improve its prospects. Thanks to a combined $30 million state and county investment, the county owns 39 acres. The portfolio includes the 18-acre former Sears property purchased in 2022, an additional 12 acres of mall property in 2023, and the January 2025 purchase of the nine-acre former Macy’s building and associated property. Security Square Holding LLC owns 30 acres—most of them inside the mall building. Together the entities also control access points to and from the main roadways along Rolling Road and Security Square Boulevard.
Not long before soliciting RFPs, a county press release noted that Baltimore County and Security Square Holding agreed to jointly place their 12 parcels—which account for almost 80% of the mall—on the market for redevelopment.
Excluded from the RFP are Chick Fil-A, which sits on the restaurant pad; Chase Brexton Health Care and the Extra Space storage facility, both located on the mall site’s west side and owned by Helmsley Properties; and the OWE Center owned by Set the Captives Free. AMC Theatres and the Chase Champion body repair shop are both separated from the mall and located in the mall’s south parking area.
Proposals were required to reflect principles from the county-led Reimagine Security Square initiative, which solicited community input. The final report captured the community’s desire for green space, entertainment and retail, and advised that because of the ownership complications, redevelopment scenarios could focus on a full demolition or construction around existing structures on the 1-million-square-foot space. Turner, the press secretary, said developers had the option to explore either scenario in their submissions.
Additionally, developers were incentivized with revitalization tax credits the County Council expanded to include commercial and transit-oriented areas Woodlawn and other parts of the county’s western sector. The site’s planned access to the proposed Red Line light-rail extension connecting Woodlawn to downtown Baltimore also provides a benefit, according to the RFP.
The mall, built in 1972 at 6901 Security Square Boulevard, is within two miles of the federal Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services headquarters. Once a major retail destination, an exodus of national brands and retailers accelerated in the past few years, leading to extensive vacancies and more independent jewelry, hair and apparel shops and kiosks. Shoppers, even those who lived in the apartment buildings and homes within a mile or two of the mall, travel to Columbia, Towson and Owings Mills for their shopping and dining choices.
Because of the loss of business, the Security Square has increasingly relied on nontraditional leases as national retailers departed. A storage facility replaced a seafood buffet restaurant and hair supply store. A trucking and trades school parked its 18-wheelers behind temporary fencing on the back parking lot before relocating to a former K-Mart property in Baltimore City in May 2025. Other areas of the mall parking lots serve as venues for UniverSoul Circus performances, Islamic Society of Baltimore events, and car shows. According to the RFP timeline, negotiations on a sale are expected to be completed around August 2026.