Springfield Town Center Changes in 2026: Closures and New Apartments

On November 11, 1985, Prince Charles and Princess Diana walked into the JCPenney at Springfield Mall. About 6,000 spectators and 5,000 balloons were waiting for them. Inside, according to Washington Post archive reports, the couple looked around the maternity department, debated double-breasted suits and passed an exhibit of a Rolls-Royce balanced on china cups. They reportedly bought an $8 scarf.

That store closed for good on May 24, 2026, after 53 years. In early October, Bertucci's closed its Springfield restaurant, which was the chain's last location in the DC area. As of today, neither space has an announced replacement. The busiest construction on the property has been housing. In 2026 Springfield Town Center gained residents faster than it gained stores, and the plans on file with Fairfax County expect those new residents to bring in the next round of businesses.

Two Long-Running Tenants Closed in One Year

JCPenney had already outlasted a lot. Its building at 6699 Springfield Mall went up in 1973, which made it one of the original anchors. Between 2012 and 2014, Springfield Mall was gutted and rebuilt as Springfield Town Center. Only three stores stayed through that work: JCPenney, Target and Macy's. When Catalyst Brands, JCPenney's parent company, announced the closing, it said it could not continue under the current lease terms and had not found another suitable location in the market.

The building's future is still open. In 2022, The Meridian Group and Martin-Diamond Properties bought the Springfield store along with the JCPenney at Fair Oaks and three other locations. They said they had no specific plans and were attracted by the "mixed-use" potential of the sites. When FFXnow reported the closing in February 2026, no new use had been announced, and none has turned up since.

The Washington Business Journal reported the Bertucci's closing on October 5. The paper noted that the Northborough-based chain filed for Chapter 11 a year and a half ago and now runs just 11 restaurants, down from more than 100 at its peak. The available reporting doesn't give the final day of service or say what might go into the space.

The Newest Arrivals Signed Leases, Not Storefront Deals

While those two were winding down, the 439-unit Hanover Springfield apartment building was being finished next to the mall. FFXnow described it in July as recently completed, and Hanover's own site now lists it as open.

At the end of June, Hanover went back to Fairfax County with a plan for more. It covers about 11.3 acres at the southeast corner of the property, where Spring Mall Drive meets Frontier Drive. The application proposes a 356-unit building called "R2," with a private interior courtyard and a new pedestrian bridge to the existing parking garage. A possible third building, "R1," would run along the edge of the garage and hold up to 709 more units. The application gives no construction timeline for either one.

Hanover's land-use attorney, Lynne Strobel of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, explained the reasoning in a letter to the county:

"The new residents generated by the proposed development will support the existing commercial uses within walking distance and draw new businesses to the Springfield Town Center, thereby ensuring it remains competitive and resilient in the face of the digital marketplace."

The plan puts the residents first and expects new businesses to come later.

What the Site Holds as of October 2026

The hotel will be a five-story Home2 Suites operated by InterMountain Management. The 2028 opening comes from a 2025 report. When FFXnow covered the hotel again in July 2026, it gave no opening date at all.

The 2009 Plan Was Mostly Housing to Begin With

Fairfax County rezoned a 78-acre part of the property in 2009. That approval allowed three buildings with 1,065 homes, a 225-room hotel, two urban parks and 6,000 square feet of retail. For comparison, the single Good Stuff Eatery planned for Springfield Plaza takes up 2,450 square feet. The 6,000 square feet of retail in the 2009 plan is about the size of two restaurants like it.

Hanover's 2026 request reduces the retail further. It would swap a mixed-use building planned for the southeast corner for two buildings that are residential only. Hanover would keep the right to build the hotel and retail elsewhere on the property. County policy requires 8% of the units to be workforce housing, and the developer plans to meet it.

The part that matters most to people who already live nearby is outdoors. About three acres of the new site would be open space. That includes upgrades to the existing park at Spring Mall and Frontier drives, which could add bike racks, fitness stations, a playground and public art. Hanover also proposes sidewalks on every side of the new building and a 10-foot-wide shared-use path. The 2009 rezoning called that path a "fitness trail."

The larger Central Park is a separate project. Its construction was put off during the 2022 hotel approval. At the time, county staff said they were still committed to building it once market conditions and easements allowed. Nothing since then has set a start date. For now, the corner park upgrades depend on the R2 application, and that application was still waiting for a Planning Commission hearing date as of July.

Where the Shopping and Dining Stand This Fall

The places that drew crowds before 2026 are still open. The Town Center directory lists Dave & Buster's, Regal Cinema and LEGO Discovery Center, and it also includes newer names like Blazin Chicken & Gyro, across from &pizza, and a POP MART Robo Shop vending machine in the Grand Court. The directory doesn't give opening dates, so it's unclear which of these opened this year. The directory lists BoxLunch as "Coming Soon."

Across the street at Springfield Plaza, Good Stuff Eatery has a spot between The Container Store and Music & Arts. In February, FFXnow reported a planned summer opening. In early October, the plaza's own tenant page still says "Coming Soon."

If you used to run JCPenney errands in Springfield, there are three Northern Virginia stores left: Fair Oaks Mall, Potomac Mills in Woodbridge and Dulles Town Center in Sterling. In February, Catalyst Brands told FFXnow it had no other changes planned for its Virginia stores.

On the Calendar at Springfield Town Center

The mall's seasonal events are still on, and the first one is this weekend:

• Fall Fest, Saturday, October 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the parking lot near Dick's Sporting Goods, with live music, a DJ and fall activities. Rain dates are Sunday, October 11, and Saturday, October 17.
• Santa Photos in the Grand Court, November 13 through December 24.
• Family Pet Photos with Santa in the Grand Court, Mondays from November 16 through December 14.
• Holiday Market, November 27 through December 20.

The Fall Fest lot near Dick's is a short walk from the Spring Mall and Frontier corner where Hanover wants to build R2. You can see the open site there before the county decides on it.

If you're trying to figure out what the changes at Springfield Town Center mean for your own plans, maybe an upcoming move or whether to keep a home near the mall, Jennifer Hernandez and Powers Home Group are glad to talk through what's on file with the county and what's still unknown. Let's Connect.