WHITE FLINT MALL SIGN GOES DARK AFTER MALL CLOSES, P.F. CHANG'S STRIPPED (PHOTOS)

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 35

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

After White Flint Mall locked its doors for good this weekend, and P.F. Chang's China Bistro ceased operations late Sunday night, Monday found the mall's landmark electronic sign along Rockville Pike dark. Once alive with names of mall tenants and information, it now stands as a monument to unbound greed in the so-called "new economy." The one remaining business on the site, Lord & Taylor, can't be happy about the lack of electronic signage alerting motorists that it is still there. Lord & Taylor was one of the few voices of reason attempting to stop demolition of the successful mall. Owning its own building structure, the famed department store will continue operating even after the rest of the mall is demolished.

P.F. Chang's iconic horses were ripped from their pedestals and corralled out front, joined by a solitary take-out bag, as the advance winds of an Alberta Clipper swept across the once-full front parking lot. Gone were the signs and menu board. Hungry diners drove up seeking a bite of Mongolian Beef, only to find the restaurant was no more. They staggered demoralized back into their cars, back into the darkness.

"Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all. Time bears it away, and in the end there is only darkness."

- Stephen King

Welcome to the Dark Side.

Read more about
The Dark Side of White Flint:

White Flint Mall closes its doors

No more fresh-baked cookies

The final hours of the White Flint Mall post office

WHITE FLINT MALL CLOSES ITS DOORS (PHOTOS) - WORLD FAMOUS MALL HAS CLOSED

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 34

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful,

wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

BuzzFeed, Gawker, British newspapers and other outlets horning in on the demise of White Flint Mall will be interested to know - White Flint Mall has closed its doors. Literally.

The mall entrance doors are now locked. P.F. Chang's was celebrating its final night of operation last night, but no one could enter the doomed mall itself. Lord & Taylor remains the sole operating business now on site, and one can expect demolition of the mall to begin at any time.

It's the end of an era, as the unique and impressive architecture, crowded parking lots and restaurants, and a destination that defined a space between Rockville and Bethesda give way to nostalgic memories, and the risky unknown of replacing a successful mall with an urban "town center." How will Lerner's entry stack up against the 8 or 9 competing "town centers" that will be operating nearby, and vying for the same limited number of wallets? We're about to find out.

Go back to the original post that started it all.

"It's like a ghost town in here!"

P.F. CHANG'S SETS CLOSING DATE FOR WHITE FLINT MALL RESTAURANT AHEAD OF DEMOLITION

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 33

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful,

wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

If you're a fan of White Flint Mall like me, and the P.F. Chang's restaurant there, you'll want to stop in for dinner soon. The restaurant says it will close for good on January 4, 2015.

Gil Fornaris, Market Partner with P.F. Chang's China Bistro, said that the White Flint restaurant is thankful for the many patrons who have supported it over the last 15 years. He said those customers, who made P.F. Chang's one of the most popular dining destinations in the mall, are welcome at the chain's Chevy Chase location at 5406 Wisconsin Avenue after January 4.

In the meantime, service will continue as always at the White Flint Mall location through January 4.

Even after mall owners had made the risky bet to pull the plug on the fully-leased retail center, and redevelop it as an urban town center, P.F. Chang's remained a mainstay along with Lord & Taylor. The latter owns its mall space, and will not be included in the pending demolition. P.F. Chang's was one of several dining draws that made it difficult to find a close parking space on weekends at the mall even just a few years ago. Will that crowd return for the new development?

Although the upscale mall and its impressive architecture will be gone, P.F. Chang's is one tenant that plans to return as part of the new development on the mall site. Alas, most other tenants will not be back, having closed for good or moved to other locations. There is currently no official date for the opening of that future P.F. Chang's at the mall site.

Welcome to the Dark Side.

Go down the rabbit hole and explore the Dark Side of White Flint:

The Beginning

Dave and Buster's closes at White Flint Mall

The Veil of Death

A Classic Mall Movie Theater: The Balcony is Closed

Final Scenes from Abandoned Saab Dealership

The Final Hours of Mid-Pike Plaza

The Last Days of Toys R Us

WHITE FLINT MALL SOCIAL MEDIA GOES DARK - IS THIS THE END? (PHOTO)

Is the final closure of White Flint Mall at hand?

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 26

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

First it was announced this week that the White Flint Mall U.S. Post Office would close this Saturday, April 12. Then we learned Ted Lerner's own brother, Leonard Lerner, filed suit against the mall's management and ownership to stop the mall's demolition, saying it violates the terms of the 1975 partnership agreement (in which Leonard holds a 2% stake, according to the Washington Business Journal). And I'm backing Leonard on this, just as I support Lord & Taylor and Dave and Buster's efforts to stop the demolition.

Now it gets really weird. Check out this screenshot:

Here's the screen I got
when loading the official
White Flint Mall website
last night

Yesterday, the White Flint Mall website disappeared. And, as best as I can tell, so did their Facebook page. A mall Twitter account remains online, but has not tweeted since 2011 (and only tweeted 12 times when it was operational).

Does this mean the mall is about to shutter for good?

There is conflicting evidence. Note that the Friends of White Flint article mentions the USPS had to vacate, because "demolition planned for their mall space prevents them from staying any longer." That is a very significant statement.

But last night, I called Dave and Buster's and P.F. Chang's, the two remaining restaurant tenants. Employees who answered said both restaurants would be open today, and this weekend, as usual. Since the USPS is open this Saturday, too, that may well be the case.

What about beyond this weekend? Remember when Hamburger Hamlet employees insisted they were not closing, hours before the entire contents of the restaurant were due to auctioned off?

Stay tuned!

Read more in this series:

Part 26: The final hours of Mid-Pike Plaza.
Part 1: White Flint Mall Phase 1 demolition photos.