Landmark Mall Demolition, Part 1 (short) 

I could be wrong, but I think Landmark lost some of its' appeal once the original major department stores which served as anchors started closing down.

@@davedee7465, possibly. When Woodward & Lothrop went out of business, absolutely nothing to do with the Landmark Mall, JC Penney moved into the Woodies space for five years. JC Penney pulled out because there was another JC Penney store only five miles from Landmark Mall, personally I loved JC Penney in Landmark. JC Penney used all three floors that Woodies occupied and it was a beautiful JCP. After JCP left, Lord & Taylor immediately moved in and only used two of the three floors in the Woodies building. Same goes for Hecht’s, Macy’s took over the Hecht’s space so that store never closed. Landmark Mall had all three anchor stores operating until about 2009, when L&T closed for good and no one ever moved back into that space. Landmark’s business was getting really bad before L&T left. I hated seeing the mall that I always shopped in, die. Many smaller businesses left before L&T pulled out. And of course, things just got worse for the mall. Now Landmark is demolished and that small plot of land is going to be redeveloped with a new Alexandria Hospital, townhouses and condos and of course, retail. Goodbye Landmark, hello West End Alexandria.

I don't see them very often, but here are a few wrecking ball videos: ru-vid.com/group/PLpdpl8imBL0NWXqzxCQqToFj8aIvui2mg

Malls suck....

@@MrRusty-fm4gb Cleary you never grew up with them.

@@retroryan838 I did. I've been to many malls in my life and have worked in several when I was way younger. I still think they suck and are a huge waste of space. The only positive thing I can think of about malls is they are a 1 stop shop, park your car, go to the places you need to goto, have lunch or dinner and a movie and then leave. The only time I ever visit a mall is to watch a movie with family.

Not Same

me too😉

Back when stuff was ment to last!!😢

I HAD THE SAME THOUGHTS 🤣

They probably just brought it for the first day they do this alot then bring in the excavators

@@rhythmblackheart917 Maybe there‘s no longfront available?

In this case it was probably there just for the day for show. But wrecking balls can be used for steel -- hit the beams at the right place and you can pop the joints. Here is a wrecking ball on structural steel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lugVEwW1JpM.html

@@JohnZWetmore Agreed. In downtown Columbia, MD, the wrecking company BERG had a similar Manitowoc 3900 crane with ball a few years ago working on a structural steel-framed office building. The crane operator struck beams at their bolted connections to columns for removal. Occasionally, a man in a manlift would use an oxyacetylene cutting torch to assist with the demolition. Crane and ball can be used for structural steel, but takes skill.

@@JohnZWetmore 2 completely different structures. I'm aware of what a ball can do as I own a couple myself and wreck 6 stories and lower. I'm sure it was there for the cameras as well.

With how it fell over it looks like it might have been one of those fake owls used to scare off birds. Thankfully it doesn't seem to be a cat!

Good question. The surrounding area is an expensive area. However I guess all that expensive real-estate didn't translate into more mall customers. I guess a combination of online shopping, high rent, and other factors caused its downfall....and when people are paying so much for housing they don't have much left over for shopping retail.

Yes, it is. The mall closed in 2017, so it was available to be made over with a 1980s look when they filmed scenes for the movie there in 2018.

@@JohnZWetmorewhy didn’t they just repurpose the building and turn it into apartments for people to live

@@jmream2618exactly

It was probably insulation - styrofoam balls were pumped into the walls of some 70s buildings when they were almost completed. I’d hope the demo company would know there was asbestos in the building & remove it before demolition

This part of the mall was built in 1989 and opened in 1990. By then, asbestos was outlawed. I think the stuff falling out was insulation.

Crane with pointed steel part? Do you mean demolition shear on a high reach tracked platform?

@@PreservationEnthusiast I think that’s what it’s called? It was just poking the building apart and digging out the debris from what can remember.

@@jillthinksimabreakfasttaco4904 ok that just made me sad. That opened the year I was born >: asbestos def outlawed yep

lol...Sounds like a novel

@@youknowkbbaby I agree with you a little. there is something like a novel. in general, a wrecking Ball is like death with a scythe for old buildings. wrecking ball he ruthlessly demolishes buildings, turning them into ruins

This mall was beautiful in the 90s. It didn't even have a theater but it had that nice charm to it.

Part 2 hasn't been filmed yet. The 5 minutes of wrecking ball on the facade was just for a VIP ceremony. It will probably be next month before they start demolition in earnest with a fleet of excavators.

@@JohnZWetmore thanks, nothing moves quickly in this business.

Part 2: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-c7SnUn1l0is.html

@@JohnZWetmore Did they resume demoliton around that following June?

This driver seems hopeless. Why does he take so long to manoeuvre the crane between each strike?

They probably washed it for the ceremony.

Epilepsi ooo

I think that was a fake owl, put there to keep birds off the sign.

@@constructionwatcher5381 Thank you, makes sense.

for real! It didnt seem to be in bad shape, why not re use it?

That building was probably full of lead piping and asbestos that had to be ripped out. Also building code changed dramatically since the 1970s

I’d say this portion of the building is actually quite architecturally important - a good example of Postmodern design. That part at least could’ve been incorporated into the new development - it’s not like there’s a shortage of land around it.