Lord & Taylor to close Lakeforest store

Lord & Taylor filed a WARN notice with the State of Maryland on Wednesday declaring it will close its store at Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg on September 15, 2019. Seventy-three employees will be out of a job by that date, Lord & Taylor said in its filing.

While the closure will put the mall closer to redevelopment, Gaithersburg City Councilmember Ryan Spiegel tamped down expectations for rapid change yesterday. Lakeforest "must continue to operate as a mall" until all four anchor tenants can agree on a redevelopment plan, Spiegel said. The mall's operator is a fifth property owner who also must sign on to any plan, as they own the mall's interior retail spaces and common areas.