A Washington Post article from December 2016 declared that Beltway Plaza had dodged the bullet of suburban mall death by finding an “immigrant niche.” Janubi Devendra, director of marketing at Beltway Plaza, describes it as “community-oriented.”
Either way, the Mall has a warm, multicultural vibe, like the Franklin Park community immediately to its north. It’s alive. It helps to keep the West Side community alive, as well.
Last Sunday, Beltway Plaza Mall was full of people shopping, browsing, going to the movies and sitting at the tables in front of ethnic specialty restaurants such as Jodeem African Cuisine. Devendra points out that the Mall has a mix of big chain retailers, such as Giant, Target or the new 8-screen AMC movie theater as well as mom-and-pop shops like Beltway Hardware or Arto’s Shoe Repair. There are lovely quinceañera dresses at C-Collection and foundation garments at Hermosa. It’s not Everymall in Everywhere. It’s not a carefully-curated, museum-quality “immigrant experience.” Actually, shoppers from Franklin Park, Berwyn Heights and College Park can do most of their errands there on a day off. Without the Giant, the weekly food shopping could be painful for West Siders who use the bus.
To keep things hopping, Devendra and mall management keep a full schedule of events. “Music is a key feature,” she says. A music series through the spring and summer features R&B, jazz and Latin sounds. The annual Back-to-School Fashion Show, with local modeling talent, happens in August, as does the National Night Out event in the rear parking area. Hispanic Family Day occurs in October in connection with Hispanic Heritage Month. A celebration of Black History Month included a wall of messages to the Obama family and free Obama collectibles.
As a significant aspect of its community orientation, the Mall has a Wall of Fame, where photos and biographies of local heroes such as councilmember and former mayor Judith Davis and retired chief of police Jim Craze are exhibited. Easter and Halloween arts and crafts offered a creative outlet for children and their adults. Doctors Community Hospital does health screenings three Wednesdays a month with its mobile unit in the TJ Maxx entrance. Washington Adventist Nursing School students also do health screenings as part of their service commitment each year. A more complete listing of events and programs may be found on the Beltway Plaza Mall’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/beltwayplazamall/
