In late May, Springfield Town Center lost JC Penney as the once retail giant closed, leaving a void that will be tough to fill. They didn’t have a strong Christmas this year, which is a big time for retailers, sales figures are down so shutting the doors is the result. Catalyst Brands, which combined JC Penney and SPARC Group in January 2025, says they cannot continue the current lease terms and could not find another suitable location nearby, said Dustin Fox on ThisWeekInTheDMV.com. The Springfield Town Center location is reportedly one of 138 Penney’s stores that are closing.

JC Penney started as an anchor store from the very beginning in 1973 next to Orange Bowl Pizza on one side and Time Out on the other, and the plaza out front where the Miss Springfield pageant was held for a number of years. 

The other anchor store was Montgomery Wards on the other end of then-called Springfield Mall. There’s no word on what will fill the large department store space but it could be entertainment, fitness or a restaurant cluster.