The mall is 1,667,004 square feet (154,869.7 m2) in size, and most of this space is located on one level, with the exception of the Nordstrom wing and most anchor stores.

A $10 million retail complex was to be built on 100 acres, located 18 miles northeast of Boston, in suburban Peabody.

It was anchored by Jordan Marsh, an adjoining Filene's, and included Sears, Kresge, J.J. Newberry, R.H. Stearns, and Stop & Shop.

Recreational facilities at the time included a bowling alley, a cinema, and a small amusement park called Kiddietown, next to the former Sears & Roebuck, where Office Depot is now located.

Starting with a small section near the Sears store, the entire outside shopping center was enclosed to better compete with nearby Liberty Tree Mall, constructed by New England Development in 1972.

A new food court was added adjoining the original Filene's location, which was gutted and rebuilt for the addition of JCPenney.

In 1999, New England Development sold the mall to a joint venture led by Simon Property Group, which also assumed management of the center.

Plans called for demolishing the former Jordan Marsh to clear space for an expansion, anchored by the new Nordstrom store.

Perhaps due to the increased competition, Federated announced plans to convert Lord & Taylor into Macy's Mens & Home.

[3] Other retailers joined the mall over time, including Newbury Comics in 2012, Uniqlo and LoveSac in 2014, Michael Kors in 2016, and Flying Tiger Copenhagen in 2018, the latter being their first New England store.

In 2017, renovations began outside the mall to add two new restaurants, Bancroft & Co. and Tony C's Sports Bar and Grill, and an outdoor stage for community events and performances.