Malls · Maryland
Seoul Plaza
Reinhabited.
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.
Site profile15 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
JCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this100k+ jobs within 45 min by transit
This site: 150,609 epa-walkability · all sites with this15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -10% census-cbp · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 4 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh heat wave risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.83 cdc-svi · all sites with thisInterstate or freeway within 600 m
This site: 70 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisOpportunity Zone
This site: 24005401507 hud-oz · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 69% census-acs · all sites with thisTract population up 25%+ since 2013
This site: +27% census-acs · all sites with thisWalkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)
This site: …index 15.8 epa-walkability · all sites with thisBuilding footprint 50,000+ m²
This site: 76,610 m² overture · all sites with thisReinhabited
This site: Set the Captives Free Outreach Center extraction · all sites with thisCivic and government
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Closedextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Reinhabitedextracted, unreviewed |
| New uses | civicextracted, unreviewed |
| What is there now | Set the Captives Free Outreach Centerextracted, unreviewed |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 13: BOB'S BIG BOY; BULL ON THE BEACH; CARE CLEANERS; DIAMOND CLEANERS; EXXONEPA FRS |
| Census tract 24005401507 | 7,089 people, 6,761 per sq mi; median household income $76,534; median gross rent $1,465; 69% renters; 0.0% vacant units; 1.1% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 15.8 of 20; 98 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 826 m; land-use mix 0.87; 128,852 jobs within 45 min by car, 150,609 by transit; 0% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 6 of 6 daily needs: 4 grocers, 2 schools, 3 parks or playgrounds, 1 health, 3 civic, 21 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 65 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | yes, tract 24005401507 (rural)HUD |
| Housing permits, Baltimore County (MD), 2024 | 643 units in 5+ unit buildings, 2 in 2–4, 866 single-family; 2023: 554 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.83; socioeconomic 0.74; housing and transport 0.68; 18% below 150% of poverty; 4% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 2 within 10 km, 21 within 25 km: Westview Mall (2.6 km); Reisterstown Road Plaza (6.7 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | place Seoul Plaza (shopping_mall, confidence 0.65, from BrightQuery, Overture); building footprint 76,610 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 77,407 since 2015; 4,787 in the last 12 months (-17% vs the prior 12); peak 2020-01 with 1,162Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population +27% (5,578 → 7,089); median income +36% ($56,105 → $76,534); renters 65% → 70%; median home value +44% ($179,500 → $259,100)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 45.8); expected annual loss $941,366; high: heat wave, winter weather, lightning; community resilience very highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 1 LIHTC properties, 83 units: Greens At Rolling Rd Senior Apts (83 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 2,467 establishments (-10%); 49,045 jobs (+2%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $358,090 (+0% 1 yr, +14% 5 yr); typical rent $1,731/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 311 (2000 = 100), +39% 5 yr, +71% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 27,241 vehicles a day on 70 (Interstate, 4 lanes); 2,125 trucks; 20 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Seoul Plaza opened as a Korean‑shop and restaurant wing inside Security Square Mall in Woodlawn, MD. By 2010 most of its establishments had closed, leaving the space vacant. The former Seoul Plaza area is now occupied by the Set the Captives Free Outreach Center.
Why. The closure reflects broader anchor‑store losses at Security Square Mall—Sears, Burlington and Macy’s are vacant, with only Bayit Furniture remaining as a traditional anchor—suggesting declining mall traffic and competition.
Where it stands. The site is currently closed and the former Seoul Plaza space is controlled by the Set the Captives Free Outreach Center, per the record’s after_notes.
For a planner
- The site exemplifies a reinhabit strategy converting vacant retail to civic use.
- Policy tools such as adaptive reuse incentives or zoning changes for civic facilities likely facilitated the transition.
- Open questions include the long‑term sustainability of the civic tenant, needed infrastructure upgrades, and potential for broader mixed‑use redevelopment.
For a developer
- Site size and exact boundaries are not specified in the record.
- Control appears to rest with the Set the Captives Free Outreach Center; ownership details are unknown.
- Entitlement stage and any zoning approvals for civic use are not detailed.
- Context‑layer constraints (flood risk, transit access, environmental conditions) are not provided.
- Market signal: the surrounding tract shows a median rent of $1,566, indicating a relatively low‑rent environment.
What we do not know yet
- Exact opening date and original square footage of Seoul Plaza are missing.
- Ownership deed and current legal controller of the parcel are not stated.
- Environmental conditions, flood‑zone status, and any contamination are unknown.
- Transit proximity and accessibility details are absent.
- Detailed entitlement or zoning documentation for the civic reuse is not provided.
- Financial performance or debt history of the former mall is not included.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Marley Station Mall, Baltimore, MD · Malls · same strategy: reinhabit; also in MD; 23 km away
- Reisterstown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD · Malls · same strategy: reinhabit; also in MD; 7 km away
- Procter and Gamble Baltimore Plant, Baltimore, MD · Industrial sites · same strategy: reinhabit; also in MD; 14 km away
- Hickory Hollow Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · same strategy: reinhabit
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- Seoul Plaza in Woodlawn, Maryland - A Creepy Dead Mall near Baltimore - Expedition Log Pilot, Ep. #1 youtube.com
- Annandale’s Seoul Plaza to swap parking for outdoor dining spac… ffxnow.com
- Seoul Plaza havwoods.com
- Seoul Plaza – Cannon Park Shopping Centre cannonparkshopping.co.uk
- Seoul Plaza at Broad Street Mall, Reading broadstreetmall.com
- Inside New Seoul Plaza, a Destination for Korean Barbecue and Desserts ... detroit.eater.com
- Seoul Plaza Store Entrance with Bright Sign and Glass Doors, … dreamstime.com
- Seoul Plaza - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia alchetron.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- median rent $1,566
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Anchors | JCPenney |
|---|---|
| County | Baltimore County |
| Census division | 5 · South Atlantic |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Defunct shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, year opened, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Security Square Mall is a mall in Woodlawn, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, in the United States. The mall features over 100 stores and restaurants, as well as a food court. One anchor store of the mall, the former JCPenney, previously included Korean shops and restaurants in an establishment called Seoul Plaza, however, most of these establishments had closed by 2010. Security Square Mall is located adjacent to the North American School of Trades. The only traditional anchor store is Bayit Furniture. Set the Captives Free Outreach Center takes up the space previously occupied by Seoul Plaza. There are three vacant anchor stores that once housed Sears, Burlington, and Macy's.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Seoul Plaza (Maryland) · supports: after notes, status, strategy
3 quoted sentences
Set the Captives Free Outreach Center takes up the space previously occupied by Seoul Plaza.
most of these establishments had closed by 2010.
Set the Captives Free Outreach Center takes up the space previously occupied by Seoul Plaza.