Northern Lights Shopping Center

Last updated
Northern Lights Shopping Center
NorthernLightsSC1.jpg
The site of the former J. C. Penney in 2014, now a road connecting to Walmart. Note the Walmart sign in the background.
Northern Lights Shopping Center
Location Baden, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates 40°39′24″N80°14′08″W / 40.65668°N 80.23566°W / 40.65668; -80.23566
AddressOhio River Boulevard (PA 65)
Opening date1957 [1]
Owner Zamias Services, Inc.
No. of anchor tenants 0 (as of January 2, 2021)
Total retail floor area 450,000 square feet (42,000 m2) [2]
No. of floors1
Parking974 spaces [3]
Public transit accessAiga bus trans.svg BCTA bus: 1, 3

Northern Lights Shopping Center is a strip mall located in Baden, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. It was a major power center-style strip mall from its opening until the early 2000's. A Walmart opened on the adjacent lot to Northern Lights in 2014. Parts of the plaza were demolished in 2018. [4]

Contents

History

The plaza opened in the late 1950s along Pennsylvania Route 65 (then part of Pennsylvania Route 88), serving as the major shopping center for the Beaver Valley. For decades, J. C. Penney was the main anchor store for the plaza, having a three-story store at the plaza. Other anchor tenants included Sears, [5] local supermarket chain Giant Eagle, and discount department store chain Hills. The plaza was divided into three buildings: the main eastern portion of the plaza facing the Ohio River housed J. C. Penney and Hills. The northern portion of the plaza housed Sears; this space was later occupied by Big Lots, and was most recently occupied by Giant Eagle. All three buildings also housed many smaller shops. Despite the opening of the Beaver Valley Mall in 1970 in nearby Center Township, Northern Lights continued to attract shoppers, although Sears did move to the Beaver Valley Mall at this time, where it remained until its closure in 2016.

However, the collapse of the steel industry in the 1980s, combined with the Beaver Valley Mall's easy access off of the Beaver Valley Expressway and the rapid development of Center Township, Cranberry Township, and Robinson Township, eventually saw a gradual decline for Northern Lights. In 1998, J. C. Penney moved to the Beaver Valley Mall to become its new fourth anchor store. Around the same time, Hills was acquired by Ames; however, Ames itself experienced its own problems related to the Hills acquisition.

Ames liquidated and closed all of its stores in 2002, leaving Giant Eagle as the plaza's sole anchor tenant for the next 19 years. Gradually, many of the smaller stores left, leaving a few retailers and a small handful of mom-and-pop businesses and doctor offices as of July 2013.

In 2006, the roof at the former J. C. Penney location collapsed. This prompted the then-new owners of the plaza, Zamias Services, Inc., to demolish the former J. C. Penney location for safety reasons, leaving an opening in the middle of the plaza and removing over 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) of leaseable space. [5] There were talks of moving the remaining tenants into the two smaller portions of the plaza so that the two larger portions—the two that were on each side of J. C. Penney (including the former Hills/Ames store) could be considered for redevelopment but this did not occur. [2] Zamias later admitted that if Northern Lights wasn't included in a package deal with other properties such as Pittsburgh Mills and instead was standalone, it would not have acquired the property. [2]

Efforts at redevelopment

The site of the former Hills/Ames store (left) and the former Sears store (which had been several different retailers after Sears moved out) in 2014. Note the dilapidated state at both the parking lot and the storefronts themselves. The larger structure on the right was the location of the short lived bar and nightclub Callahans's. NorthernLightsSC2.jpg
The site of the former Hills/Ames store (left) and the former Sears store (which had been several different retailers after Sears moved out) in 2014. Note the dilapidated state at both the parking lot and the storefronts themselves. The larger structure on the right was the location of the short lived bar and nightclub Callahans's.
The former Giant Eagle at Northern Lights. Note the parking lot being better maintained in front of the store compared to the empty storefronts. GiantEagleNorthernLights.jpg
The former Giant Eagle at Northern Lights. Note the parking lot being better maintained in front of the store compared to the empty storefronts.

Shortly after the demolition of the former J. C. Penney location, Walmart representatives visited Northern Lights to express interest in opening a location at the plaza. Although Zamias was in favor of Walmart's proposed plaza location, Giant Eagle and its Northern Lights franchisee opted to enforce a provision in its lease granting the brand exclusive grocery rights there, in effect preventing Walmart from building on the site. [3] Giant Eagle has similar leases in other shopping plazas in the area, preventing tenants such as Target from expanding their grocery options at certain locations.

After Zamias was forced to decline Walmart's interest due to Giant Eagle's lease, Walmart's representatives noticed the 230-acre hillside behind the plaza, which had partially been obscured by the whole plaza but was now visible with the former J. C. Penney location having been demolished. Walmart's interest in the hillside subsequently increased after Walmart abandoned its plans to build a location at the site of the former Dixmont State Hospital in nearby Kilbuck Township in 2007. Walmart contacted the owners of the hillside, the estate of Erwin S. Boal, and was able to strike a deal to purchase the property for development.

With the help of Economy Borough, in 2007 Zamias willingly gave up a portion of its parking lot and the site of the former J. C. Penney location by eminent domain in order to build a road connecting PA 65 with the hillside and the future Walmart location, despite legal claims made by Giant Eagle. Giant Eagle lost the eminent domain case to Economy in Beaver County Common Pleas Court, a ruling which was later upheld by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in 2009. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania refused to hear the case, clearing the way for the Walmart to eventually be constructed. After receiving the necessary permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in late 2012 for the connecting road, Walmart began construction, and opened May 21, 2014. [6] Once Walmart opened, Zamias expected Northern Lights to start filling up with tenants again, since Walmart customers would have to drive through Northern Lights to access Walmart. [1] [3]

The opening of Walmart next door to Northern Lights gave Beaver County its third Walmart location, which primarily serves residents of Aliquippa, Ambridge, Baden, Conway, and Economy, while Walmart's existing location in Center Township will serve the main Beaver Valley area (Beaver, Bridgewater, Monaca, New Brighton, and Rochester) and its existing location in Chippewa Township serves rural northern Beaver County as well as Beaver Falls and to a lesser extent East Palestine, Ohio in order for Ohio residents to take advantage of Pennsylvania not charging sales tax on clothing.

On June 26, 2017, Zamias announced that the entire portion of Northern Lights south of the road connecting PA 65 with Walmart would be demolished for redevelopment. This included the former Hills/Ames building. Economy borough had recently cited Zamias (who had recently lost Pittsburgh Mills to Wells Fargo in a foreclosure sale) for many safety violations for the unused portions of Northern Lights. [4] Demolition began in January 2020. [7]

Giant Eagle ultimately closed its Northern Lights location on January 2, 2021, leaving the lease issue completely moot and the plaza now able to open multiple grocers. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Mills</span> Shopping mall in Tarentum, Pennsylvania

The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, or simply Pittsburgh Mills, is a super-regional shopping center northeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Frazer Township, along PA Route 28 near its intersection with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The mall is the second largest shopping complex in Western Pennsylvania, and the main retail center for the Allegheny Valley with 905,667 sq ft (84,139 m2) of retail space on 200 acres (0.8 km2). The grand opening of the mall portion of Pittsburgh Mills was on July 14, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant Eagle</span> American supermarket chain

Giant Eagle, Inc. and stylized as giant eagle) is an American supermarket chain with stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and incorporated on August 31, 1931. Supermarket News ranked Giant Eagle 21st on the "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on sales of $11 billion. In 2021, it was the 36th-largest privately held company, as determined by Forbes. Based on 2005 revenue, Giant Eagle is the 49th-largest retailer in the United States. As of summer 2014, the company had approximately $9.9 billion in annual sales. As of spring 2023, Giant Eagle, Inc. had 493 stores across the portfolio: 211 supermarkets 8 standalone pharmacies, 274 fuel station/convenience stores under the GetGo banner, and one standalone car wash under the WetGo banner. The company is headquartered in an office park in the Pittsburgh suburb of O'Hara Township.

The Beaver Valley Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Center Township, Pennsylvania, serving Beaver County within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It is owned by the Namdar Realty Group. The mall features Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Rural King, and a U-Haul storage center. It is vastly considered by locals to be a dead mall, with many residents opting for the Ross Park Mall in Ross Township or The Mall at Robinson in Robinson Township, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latham Circle Mall</span> Shopping mall in New York, United States

Latham Circle Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located adjacent to the Latham Circle in Latham, New York. Built in 1957 as Latham Corners Shopping Center, the mall was renovated several times in its history, most notably in 1977 when it became a fully enclosed and temperature-controlled shopping mall.

Waterworks Shopping Mall is an outdoor super-regional shopping mall located on Freeport Road in the city limits of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The center opened in 1982, and features a gross leasable area of 914,638 square feet (84,972.7 m2). It is managed by J.J. Gumberg Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Anchor stores include Barnes & Noble, Dunham's Sports, Giant Eagle, Marshalls, Petco, and TJ Maxx; the mall also features several smaller stores and restaurants, as well as a movie theater. Former anchor tenants include Bed Bath & Beyond, Phar-Mor, Sam Goody, Service Merchandise, and Walmart. Waterworks Shopping Plaza is home to more than 65 stores and services including food court such as Starbucks, Burgatory, Panera Bread, Uncle Sam's Subs, Five Guys Burgers, Aladdin's Eatery, Italian Village Pizza, Ichiban Hibachi & Sushi Bar, Mad Mex, Subway. On October 24, 2022, it was announced that Walmart would be closing on November 11 due to is past and present financial performance.

Washington Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in South Strabane Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, just outside the city of Washington, formerly managed by J J Gumberg Co. and now by Oxford Development Company. It is owned by Falconi, a local developer which also owns a number of properties throughout Washington County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shoppes at Parma</span> Shopping mall in Ohio, USA

The Shoppes at Parma, formerly known as Parmatown Mall, is a shopping plaza located in Parma, Ohio, approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Cleveland. It is located at the southwest corner of State Route 3 and Ridgewood Drive in southern Cuyahoga County. It is anchored by Walmart, Burlington, Marc's and Dick's Sporting Goods. The plaza opened as a shopping plaza in 1956 and was enclosed in the mid-1960s and has become an outdoor plaza once again. Its original anchors were Higbee's (1967) and May Company (1960). Higbee's became Dillard's in 1992, and closed in 2000. The old Higbee's structure was demolished and replaced with a new Walmart in 2004. May Company became Kaufmann's in 1993 and Kaufmann's became Macy's in 2006. A Kresge also served as a fourth anchor store until it was closed in the early 1980s to make way for an expansion. Parts of the original plaza remain open-air, with Chuck E. Cheese's and Marc's as major tenants. The mall was renovated in the early 2000s and was renovated to be an outdoor shopping center in 2017, with the interior demolished.

Greengate Centre is an open-air power center in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 30. The center opened in 2005 on the site of the defunct Greengate Mall, which was demolished in 2003. Greengate Centre currently encompasses over 430,000 square feet (40,000 m2) of retail space, and more than 45 stores and restaurants. Anchor stores include Jo-Ann Fabrics, Petco, Ross Dress for Less, and Walmart. It also contains dozens of smaller retailers such as Five Below, GameStop, Lane Bryant, General Nutrition Centers, Oshkosh B'gosh, and Verizon Wireless. The Kroenke Group of Columbia, Missouri owns and manages the shopping center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority</span>

The Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority is a public transportation service that is located in Washington County, Westmoreland County, and a small portion of Fayette County in Pennsylvania. It provides inter-city bus and paratransit service to select communities within the area.

Highlands Mall is a former shopping mall in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania that operates today as an open-air shopping center. It opened in 1977 and closed in 2006, reopening after its redevelopment in 2008.

Richland Town Center is a power center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on U.S. Route 219 at Elton Road and Theatre Drive. The center opened in 2004 on the site of the former Richland Mall. Existing from 1974 to 1998, Richland Mall was an enclosed shopping mall whose anchor stores were Sears, Kmart, and Penn Traffic; Sears later became Hills and then Ames, while Penn Traffic later became Hess's and then The Bon-Ton. Richland Mall was shuttered in 1998 after losing business to The Johnstown Galleria which opened in 1992. Richland Mall was then torn down and redeveloped as a strip mall, which features Walmart, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, Best Buy, and Ulta as its anchor stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schuylkill Mall</span> Shopping mall in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Schuylkill Mall was an 800,000 sq ft (74,000 m2) shopping mall located in Frackville, Pennsylvania. Built in 1980 by Crown American, the mall originally featured Kmart, Hess's, and Sears as its anchor stores; later additions to the mall included Pomeroy's and Phar-Mor. In its day, it was one of the largest shopping malls in the state of Pennsylvania.

Florin Towne Centre is an outdoor shopping center in the unincorporated area of Parkway-South Sacramento in Sacramento County, California, United States, in the Sacramento area. It opened in 2008 on the site of the old Florin Mall, which closed and was demolished in 2006. The 484,500 square feet (45,010 m2) center is anchored by AutoZone, Chuze Fitness, PetSmart, US Foods CHEF'STORE, and Walmart Supercenter.

East Hills Shopping Center was an outdoor shopping mall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1960, the center lost most of its major stores in the late 1970s and underwent several failed attempts at renovation.

The Shoppes at Trexler, formerly Trexler Mall, is an open-air shopping center and former enclosed community shopping mall in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex</span> Industrial plant in Pennsylvania

The Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex is an ethylene cracker plant located in Potter Township, Pennsylvania, United States, owned and operated by Shell Oil Company, the American subsidiary of supermajor oil company Royal Dutch Shell. The plant is near the interchange of Interstate 376 and Pennsylvania Route 18, about 25 miles (40 km) from Pittsburgh. Operations began in November, 2022 and will produce over a million tons per year of plastic pellets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Valley Mall</span> Shopping mall in Ohio, U.S.

River Valley Mall is an enclosed shopping mall serving Lancaster, Ohio, United States. It was built in 1987 by Glimcher Realty Trust. The mall's anchor stores are Cinemark Theatres, Dick's Sporting Goods, and JCPenney. There are 2 vacant anchor stores that were once Elder-Beerman and Sears. It is owned by Namdar Realty Group.

Zamias Services, Inc. is a commercial real estate leasing and management company based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The company was created by shopping mall developer George D. Zamias and traces its history back to 1957.

Anderson Towne Center is a shopping mall in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Built in 1969 as Beechmont Mall, it originally included John Shillito Company (Shillito's) and Mabley & Carew as its major anchor stores, with Gold Circle joining in 1980. Each anchor store changed names twice during the original mall's history: Shillito's became Rike Kumler Co. (Rike's) and then Lazarus, Mabley & Carew became Elder-Beerman and then Parisian, while Gold Circle became Hills and then Kmart. Between 2002 and 2003, the center was demolished except for the Lazarus and Kmart buildings, and renamed to Anderson Towne Center. Following the conversion of Lazarus to Macy's at that point and the closure of Kmart in 2013, the center's present anchor stores are Macy's, Kroger, Sky Zone, and Crunch Fitness.

Northern Crossing, formerly Valley West Mall from 1973 to 1996 and Manistee Town Center from 1996 to 2000, is a shopping mall south of Northern Avenue between 55th and 59th Avenues in Glendale, Arizona, United States. Built in 1973 as an enclosed shopping mall, it was turned into a power center in 2000 after years of decline. Northern Crossing is a power center whose anchor stores are Walmart and Lowe's.

References

  1. 1 2 Parrish, Tory N. "Work on Wal-Mart supercenter set to begin in Beaver County". TribLIVE.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Northern Lights center has size issues - Pittsburgh Business Times". Archived from the original on 2013-11-11.
  3. 1 2 3 David, Brian (January 14, 2010). "Walmart store could be built behind Northern Lights in Economy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Kurutz, Daveen Rae. "Northern Lights owners planning to demolish part of shopping plaza". timesonline.com.
  5. 1 2 "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  6. ↑ Staff Reports. "Economy Walmart opens May 21". timesonline.com.
  7. ↑ Kurutz, Daveen Rae. "Demolition resumes at Northern Lights". Ellwood City Ledger. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  8. ↑ Suttles, Chrissy (4 December 2020). "Economy's Giant Eagle in Northern Lights Shopping Center to close Jan. 2". Beaver County Times. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.