The SPCA of Anne Arundel County’s Paws at the Mall in Annapolis apparently does not have to leave the property, despite a termination notice posted on its doors this week.
As news spread Wednesday that the 1.5-million-square-foot mall had been sold, a message from the SPCA posted on Facebook created the impression the new owner was kicking the animal adoption center out.
Mackenzie Fontaine, the mall’s general manager, said in an email that management was in talks with the SPCA about moving to a new location in the mall, not evicting it.
California-based Macerich, the mall’s new owner, did not issue the termination notice to the SPCA, Fontaine wrote. Representatives of Centennial and Atlas Hill RE, the former owners, could not immediately be reached.
“Once we assumed ownership of the property and became aware of this unfortunate situation, we immediately began working with the SPCA to help save PAWS at the Mall and identify a long-term home for this vital community partner,” she wrote. “Macerich believes our shopping centers serve as community cornerstones, and organizations like the SPCA are part of what makes Annapolis Mall so special.”
Officials with the SPCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On social media, they wrote they are “in discussions with the new ownership regarding a potential future location.”
Macerich announced it had purchased the mall Wednesday in a $272 million deal. The purchase included an adjacent 13-acre parcel that includes a vacant Sears store. It did not include anchor Macy’s or a vacant JCPenney location.
“Annapolis is exactly the kind of acquisition we said we would pursue,” Jackson Hsieh, president and CEO of Macerich, said in a statement.
He noted the mall is located “within a strong trade area with limited competition” and is undergoing a transformation that will include Dick’s House of Sport, set to open in the fall.
Annapolis Mall, formerly called Westfield Annapolis, opened in 1980. JCPenney opened at the mall three years later but closed last summer. Existing large tenants include Macy’s, H&M, Crate & Barrel and Apple.
The mall and its 55 acres were acquired in 2024 by Centennial and Atlas Hill RE for $160 million, according to state property records.
Macerich also owns Tysons Corner, in Northern Virginia.
The SPCA’s Paws at the Mall location opened in 2020. Officials with the location said it has helped more than 2,500 animals find homes.
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