Run down and abandoned no more; but still not the go to mall.
For years before its actual renovation, the citizens of Springfield have been anxiously awaiting the improvements to Springfield Mall and were disappointed at the outcome of the overhaul that took over a year to complete. The building itself was given a dramatic facelift, the building now features marble tiles, grandiose staircases and floor to ceiling windows, so it is strange that more people would not consider the town center their go-to mall.
If you want to go shop then Springfield Town Center isn’t the place to go. Although, more and more stores are opening as time goes on, there is a large majority of stores that still haven’t opened yet and will be opening over the upcoming summer. The town center does have staples, such as American Eagle or Forever 21, but definitely doesn’t have the selection of stores that Tyson’s or Fair Oaks has.
Due to the shortage in the variety of shops this has made the mall to become more of a one stop shop. Someone that lives in the area needs something in particular he or she would probably go to Springfield Mall purely based on convenience. If you are only going to spend 20 minutes at the mall it is silly to drive all the way to another mall when what you need can be found five minutes away.
Springfield Mall has become a destination for activities other than shopping. The extremely elegant movie theater, although pricey, draws a crowd of people all nights of the week. Prior to Springfield Town Center Movie Theater being open WS students would have to drive to Kingstowne, which is the closest, Tysons or Fairfax Corner. With reclining, comfortable seats and swing out tables it is easy to see why so many people have traded out Kingstowne for Springfield in regards to movie going.
Another positive improvement is the food court which is relatively small but is very good. There is food represented from Chipotle to Panada Express. The actual eating area is very open and modern as well; with floor to ceiling windows and private rooms. It is a nice place for people to take a load off from all their shopping but, like I said before, not that many people would go to Springfield mall and spend all day shopping.
It’s not that Springfield Town Center is that far inferior to the other malls in the areas, after its facelift, but WS students and Springfield residents already have a go-to mall, that isn’t Springfield, so it will take time before it draws the same crowd as Tyson’s or Fair Oaks.