Columbia Mall sets 'Main Street' redevelopment

Joining the trend for open-air shopping malls to have the look and feel of an old-fashioned "Main Street," The Mall in Columbia is scheduled to begin work Tuesday on a 40,000 square-foot expansion, the first major redevelopment since it opened in 1971, the Maryland Daily Record reported.

The biggest change to the mall will involve demolition of the large L.L. Bean store there along with some parking spaces to make way for a new, outdoor-based public gathering and retail space.