With the new 350,000-sf area, Tysons Corner Center will become the sixth largest shopping mall in the country.

The crux of the project centers on redeveloping the 230,000-sf space that was formerly home to JC Penney. The department store closed its doors in April, after having been a presence in the mall since 1995. Wilmorite acquired the store property from JC Penney Co., which had held sole ownership of the building. The redesign also calls for an additional 100,000 sf to be developed for retail occupants. Upon the scheduled August 2005 project completion date, Tysons Corner Center, which sees an estimated 57,000 visitors a day, will boast a new entertainment district with a food court, retail space, restaurants and an 18-screen AMC Theatre.

"We are excited to be able to use this space and offer the community a shopping and entertainment experience that will be unsurpassed," Wilmorite president and CEO John Anderson says. "This expansion will further strengthen Tysons' dominance among shopping centers in the Mid-Atlantic region." In addition to 250 other retail outlets already in place, the mall features a bevy of anchors including Bloomingdale's, Hecht's, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, and LL Bean. Tysons Corner Center debuted in 1968 and underwent its last redevelopment in 1988. RTKL Associates Inc. is the architectural team behind this most recent endeavor.