10/30/2026
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Ancient Meteor Crater Discovery Halts Lakeforest Redevelopment
GAITHERSBURG, MD — Plans to redevelop the former Lakeforest Mall property have been suspended indefinitely following the discovery of an enormous prehistoric meteor crater beneath the 100-acre site.
The discovery came just as developer WRS Inc. requested permission to increase the number of residential units from 1,600 to 2,200. Excavation crews working near the center of the former mall site uncovered what scientists have now identified as the impact crater of a massive asteroid believed to have struck Earth approximately 115,000 years ago.
According to a preliminary assessment by geologists, the impact may have been responsible for the mass extinction of numerous prehistoric species, the onset of the last glacial period, and the closing of Roy's Place.
State and federal officials have designated the entire property as a protected scientific research site, with excavation, documentation and analysis of the crater expected to take 30 years. “That's like two mayors from now,” complained Gaithersburg Councilmember Yamil Hernández, who recently formed an exploratory committee for the 2047 election.
The discovery represents a significant setback for developer WRS, which had envisioned transforming the former shopping mall into a sprawling mixed-use community featuring thousands of homes, restaurants, retail establishments and public gathering spaces. The company has not announced future plans, though a convoy of WRS earthmovers recently arrived at the White Flint site in North Bethesda.
Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman sought to lift the council's spirits by putting the setback in perspective. “At least no one paid for Prime so they could order from Amazon Fresh.”
