Sixteen merchants, more than half of them new to the Baltimore area, will open at Towson Town Center this spring and summer, the mall's management announced yesterday.

With the added stores, the lavishly restored and expanded mall at Joppa and Dulaney Valley roads will have leased 157 of its 200 stores. Christopher Schardt, the mall's manager, said he expects Towson Town to be about 97 percent full by the time the Nordstrom's anchor store opens in September.

Among the more well-known stores new to the area are Bren- tano's, a celebrated bookstore chain, and Lillie Rubin, a women's clothing store for the affluent. Other newcomers include Candy, Candy; Everything's $1.00; Handblock; and A Pea in the Pod. The Silver Diner, a well-known Washington-area chain of restaurants with a diner theme, will open its first Baltimore-area restaurant at the mall in August. Other restaurants new to Baltimore that are scheduled to open are Nathan's -- owned by Nathan's Famous Inc. of New York and known for its frankfurters -- and Flamers Charbroiled Hamburgers.

In addition to the new stores, two longtime tenants expect to complete remodeling projects in coming months. The Rite Aid drugstore will finish its construction work by the end of March. The Camera Shop will begin remodeling soon and hopes to complete work in July.

Towson Town Center, which was redeveloped and is managed by the Hahn Co. of San Diego, is coming off a strong Christmas season, Mr. Schardt said.

New stores at Towson Town Center

COMING IN MARCH

A PEA IN THE POD -- maternity clothing

CANDY, CANDY -- bulk and packaged candies

FLAMERS CHARBROILED HAMBURGERS -- restaurant

HANDBLOCK -- linens, domestics

LENSCRAFTER -- eyeglasses

COMING IN APRIL

AU BON PAIN -- breakfast, lunch and snack foods

CACHE -- "upscale" women's clothing

COACH -- handbags, briefcases, silk ties, scarves, leather goods

CPI PHOTO FINISH -- one-hour photo finishing

ELECTRONICS BOUTIQUE -- home computer software

S. HIKEN FORMALWEAR INC. -- formal wear

LILLIE RUBIN -- clothing for women and girls

NATHAN'S RESTAURANT -- restaurant

COMING IN MAY

BRENTANO'S -- bookstore

EVERYTHING'S $1.00 -- from jewelry to hardware to toys; everything sells for a dollar

COMING IN AUGUST

SILVER DINER -- 24-hour diner-style food and fountain service