The owners of White Flint Mall won a victory in federal appeals court this week when a judge ruled against Lord & Taylor’s attempt to stop the property from being redeveloped. The department store, which owns its own building and has no plans to leave, is the only tenant left at the once-luxurious mall after owner Lerner Enterprises allowed all the other leases to expire. Lerner plans to demolish the property and replace it with an open-air mix of retail, restaurants, offices and living space. Lord & Taylor took Lerner to court in an effort to force the company to repopulate White Flint Mall instead of tearing it down. But an appeals court judge said that plan wasn’t realistic. The redevelopment project still has some governmental hurdles to clear, but this week’s decision means it’s now just a matter of time before the wrecking ball arrives.
