In the Parole of Lillian Burgess' youth, children played in backyard flower gardens, and men traveled over oyster-shell roads to sell vegetables and eggs to city folk in Annapolis.

Parole wasn't known then for its shopping mall, the now-moribund Parole Plaza, but rather its rural charm and Civil War history.

"We had a pretty good life in Parole," said Burgess, who was born 93 years ago in the community that extends from west Annapolis into an incorporated area of Anne Arundel County.

But with the arrival of the plaza -- built in the early 1960s by a New Jersey developer -- Parole began to change. As African-American families who had lived in the area for decades died or moved on, commercial shops and gas stations replaced the simple homes and rose beds.

Now Parole-- with its enviable Route 50 exit, dowdy mall and jumble of fast-food restaurants and lube shops just a few miles from downtown Annapolis -- could be primed for redevelopment.

Anne Arundel County officials are working with the owner of the plaza on hotly contested plans to demolish its vacant anchor stores and build new stores and homes.

A transportation hub would use buses and the light rail to connect residents to Baltimore-Washington International Airport as well as Annapolis' tourist center and state government offices.

'Lot has been lost'

Annapolis officials, who consider Parole to be the gateway to their city, are moving forward with their own plans to add landscaping to key intersections and replace a battered lumber yard with 350 upscale apartments.

There is also a plan to spotlight the area's history, which was a way station for paroled Union soldiers during the Civil War.

"I really do think we are going to raise up and improve the community," said Annapolis Alderwoman Classie G. Hoyle, a Parole native. "Unfortunately, an awful lot has been lost."

Hoyle is the force behind an effort to preserve what's left of Parole's past. She wants to create a heritage trail to detail its history.

Ron Snyder's antiques shop at West Street and Old Solomons Island Road would be one of the stops. Before Snyder bought it in 1984, the two-story wooden structure served as a grocery and junk store.

"There was very little there in Parole compared to what is there now," said Severna Park resident David Finkelstein, whose uncle, Sam Finkelstein, ran the grocery store at Solomons Island Road. David Finkelstein's father, Milton, owned a store nearby that locals called "Little Finky's."

Longtime Parole residents remember catching trains operated by the Baltimore-Washington and Annapolis Railroad at the Parole train station, picking up parcels at the Parole post office and watching horse races at the Parole track, which was located where Parole Plaza stands today.

Parole traces its name to the Civil War era, when there was nothing but farm fields and woods west of Annapolis.

In 1863, wooden barracks were erected outside Annapolis to house Union soldiers who had been captured by the Confederate army and paroled. These soldiers had to wait at the camp until they received their discharge papers and pay. The name Camp Parole stuck until the mid-20th century.

Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer said she believes some of the barracks may still exist in Parole's back yards. "There have been rumors for a long time," she said. "We're looking to see if those rumors are true."

Moyer said she is eager to preserve what's left of Parole's history and to improve the neighborhood for future generations. A city-sponsored home repair-training program could prepare local youths to restore and revitalize Parole's housing stock. The planned apartment project, which recently received zoning approval from the city council, is another bright spot, she said.

Urban hub scenario

Moyer's enthusiasm diminishes, however, when she considers Parole Plaza owner Carl Freedman's plans to raze the mall and build a two-story Wal-Mart and a 12-story apartment building. Freedman's Parole Centre would be the centerpiece of a high-density growth area that could have 25 million square feet of development.

"Is that what I think of in terms of our capital city?" said Moyer, referring to the urban hub scenario offered by Freedman and the county. "No."

But Moyer has little say over what happens on the plaza site because the county controls it. County officials have been working with Freedman, the son of the New Jersey developer who built the Plaza in 1962, for nearly a decade to revitalize the site. County Executive Janet S. Owens signed a development agreement with Freedman a year ago.

"We were closed out of the process," said Moyer, who had Hoyle appointed to a county advisory committee that is setting design standards for Parole. Moyer described the county's planning process as "arduous" and with "little dialogue in terms of a vision about what should happen in the environs of the city."

Reaching for more

County officials say they've tried to do what's best for the entire region.

"Our desire has always been to look beyond just another retail shopping center and reach for something more," said William A. Badger, president of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp., which has also worked to remake the mall.

"It's one of the gateways when you come into Annapolis, and it deserves to be more than what it is now."

Whatever eventually happens at the plaza site will greatly affect the city, said Moyer, a longtime Annapolis resident. She remembers that when Parole Plaza opened four decades ago, it drained business from downtown merchants.

Parole Plaza witnessed similar market forces when glossier retail centers such as Westfield Shoppingtown and Harbor Center opened nearby. The plaza, which couldn't compete with the Nordstrom and Fresh Fields Market crowds, slowly lost leases and clientele.

Today, its outdoor courtyard is overgrown with shrubbery and strewn with shards of glass from broken shop windows. A single caretaker and security guard manage the property. The 1960s-era sign that hangs above the mall reads: "God less America."

The "B" in "Bless" has been missing for months.

And while many in Parole hope that the plaza will finally get a makeover, exactly when demolition and construction will begin is unclear.

Recently, Freedman entered into an agreement to sell the 34-acre mall property to an Atlanta developer.

The deal, which has been complicated by the plume of a toxic chemical fanning out from beneath the property, has yet to be completed.

In addition, design standards for the future urban center have yet to be reviewed or approved by the County Council.

Last month, Owens upset members of the advisory committee charged with drafting design standards when her administration approved building permits for a nearby development. Committee members said Owens promised not to approve any permits until after the council had adopted standards. Owens said her promise covered the shopping center only.

Facing challenges

Parole committee members are finishing their review of a final draft of design standards. They have stated that they want to get the draft to the council as soon as possible.

"It's been a challenge," Badger said.

Meanwhile, longtime residents such as Burgess and her nephew, former Annapolis Alderman John T. Chambers, can't quite figure out what's going on. They hope the mall -- which long ago replaced Civil War history and the horse track as the focal point of their neighborhood -- will be revitalized.

"All we hear are the rumors of what it will be like," said Chambers, 74. "More than likely, Parole will be altogether different than what it used to be and what it is today. I'm just hopeful there will be positive changes."