Berkshire Mall (Massachusetts)

Berkshire Mall

Location	Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Address	Old State Road & Route 8
Opening date	September 1988
Closing date	May 28, 2019
Developer	The Pyramid Companies
Owner	Town Of Lanesborough
No. of stores and services	75 capacity
No. of anchor tenants	1
Total retail floor area	717,900 square feet (67,000 m2) (GLA)
No. of floors	1

Berkshire Mall was a shopping mall located in Lanesborough, Massachusetts outside Pittsfield. The mall was built in 1988 and closed in 2019. It could be reached from both Route 8 and U.S. Route 7. Currently the mall's one tenant is Target.

History

The mall opened in September 1988. The original anchor stores at the mall were Hills (later Ames), JCPenney, Sears, Service Merchandise, and local chain Steiger's. Steiger's sold its locations to Filene's (later Macy's) in 1994. ^[1] Service Merchandise closed in 1999. ^[2] The building was razed and replaced with Best Buy and Linens 'n Things in 2002. ^[3] Ames, which closed in 2001, was replaced with a Target in 2002. (That Target, however, wouldn't open until January 2006.) An Old Navy store was added to the mall in 2000. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

The late 2010s saw several storied traditional department store retailers update their brick-and-mortar formats after being encroached upon to a degree by several digital retailers in recent years.

On January 6, 2016, Macy's announced that after a strategy had been elected by them to solely focus on their highest achieving locations that they would be leaving this shopping center. ^[7]

In 2016, the owner of the mall became Kohan Retail Property Group after the previous owner, Strategic Mall Services (operating as Berkshire Mall LLC), sold it to them. ^[8]

On March 17, 2017, JCPenney announced that as part of modernizing their traditional brick-and-mortar base that they'll no longer continue to position an outpost in this retail environment. ^[9]

On November 2, 2017, it was announced Sears would shutter as part of an ongoing decision to eliminate its brick-and-mortar format. ^[10]

On May 28, 2019, under new ownership, the mall concourse closed for future development except for Target and Regal Cinemas. ^[11]

On February 1, 2022, it was announced that Regal Cinemas would be ending its lease as a result of restructuring its established long-term debt due to the COVID-19 outbreak. ^[12]

References

1. "Steiger's may sell stores, reports say Scenario has May Co. buying seven Steiger's may sell stores, reports say". Hartford Courant . 6 January 1994. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
2. Dobrowolski, Tony (24 October 2001). "Berkshire Mall gets permit to expand for BJ's outlet". Berkshire Eagle. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
3. "Best Buy Co. eyes Berkshire Mall". Berkshire Eagle. 26 October 2001. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
4. Shapiro, Carolyn (26 September 2000). "Old Navy to open new store in Mass". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
5. Dobrowolski, Tony (24 April 2010). "New clothing store opens in mall". North Adams Transcript. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
6. "Best Buy to close Berkshire Mall store Oct. 31".
7. "Macy's at the Berkshire Mall to close". The Berkshire Eagle.
8. Andy McKeever (September 28, 2016). "Lanesborough Settles Tax Appeal With Berkshire Mall". iBerkshires.
9. "J.C. Penney closing Berkshire Mall store in June". The Berkshire Eagle.
10. "Berkshire Mall Sears store to close". The Berkshire Eagle. November 2, 2017.
11. "Owner in talks with remaining Berkshire Mall tenants about its future". Berkshire Eagle. May 28, 2019.
12. Dobrowolski, Tony (February 1, 2022). "Regal Cinemas at the Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough has permanently closed". Berkshire Eagle.

42°29′33″N73°12′24″W / 42.49250°N 73.20667°W / 42.49250; -73.20667