Surrounded by piles of gray rubble, Gaithersburg leaders, developers and elected officials gathered Monday to mark the beginning of the demolition of Lakeforest Mall, signaling the start of a long-anticipated transformation of the aging retail site into a mixed-use community with retail shops, residential units and access to transit.
“This is a significant step to moving us toward the finish line,” Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman said during the ceremony attended by local officials and the project’s developers at the 102-acre mall sire at 701 Russell Ave.
Ashman called the moment a milestone years in the making. “On behalf of our whole community, I want to say hallelujah — let the redevelopment begin,” he said.
Opened in 1978, the mall once served as a central shopping and social hub for Montgomery County, featuring major department stores, an ice rink and later a movie theater and food court. For many residents, it was a place of first jobs, first dates and holiday shopping traditions.