Parkway Center Mall

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Parkway Center Mall
Parkway Center Mall in Pittsburgh, PA (8407552540).jpg
Parkway Center Mall
Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
AddressParkway Center Drive
Opening date4 November 1982;43 years ago (1982-11-04)
Closing date2013
Demolished2016 (Kmart/Giant Eagle had become standalone stores)
DeveloperKossman Development
ManagementKossman Development
Stores and services80 (at peak)
Anchor tenants 5 (all vacant as of June 2025)
Floor area 500,000 square feet (46,000  m2; 4.6  ha; 11 acres)
Floors2 (2016-) (Giant Eagle on lower floor with former Kmart above it)
3 (1985-2016)

Parkway Center Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1982, the mall closed in 2013 after losing Kmart, its last anchor store. The last remaining store in operation was a Giant Eagle supermarket which closed in June 2025. In 2016, the entirety of the mall was demolished, except for the Giant Eagle building with the vacant former Kmart space above it. [1]

Contents

History

Kossman Development opened Parkway Center Mall on November 4, 1982. [2] Original anchor stores included Gold Circle, Giant Eagle, Zayre, Thrift Drug, and a David Weis catalog showroom. [3] Other major tenants included Chi-Chi's, K·B Toys, RadioShack, Payless ShoeSource, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. [4] An exit from Interstate 376 was built specifically to service the mall. [5]

In 1986, Gold Circle became Kmart. Shortly thereafter, the foundation shifted, resulting a crack in the floor that ran the length of the store. 8- inch (20  cm ) wide steel plates were used to cover it. [4]

Zayre closed in 1989 along with three other stores in the area. [6]

In 1990, David Weis closed, and its space would become a Phar-Mor a year later. [7] Also in 1990, the former Zayre became a Kaufmann's clearance center. [8]

By 1992, the clearance store was closed, and one-third of its space was converted to a CompUSA. [9] The rest later became Syms Corporation. [10]

In 1997, Thrift Drug became Eckerd when the latter bought out the chain. [10]

In 1999, the arcade and food court were closed, with the latter later converted to a dance studio and a drivers' license office. [10]

In 2002, Syms and Phar-Mor both closed. [11] [12] CompUSA moved to Robinson Town Centre. [13]

By 2006, the center was largely vacant, with all tenants consolidated to the second floor after the first and third floors were closed to traffic. [14] The mall building also had foundation issues that caused it to shake as the building settled on the fill dirt on which it was built. Some of the vibrations were caused by truck traffic passing by on the nearby Interstate. [10]

Kmart announced its closure in late 2012, with its last day of operation on January 6, 2013. [10] After this closure, the last remaining tenants were shuttered or relocated within the month, [4] including GNC, a sports apparel store, a nail salon, a martial arts studio, and an optician. [15]

In August 2016, the mall began to undergo demolition. [16]

As of February 2019, the mall had been completely demolished except for the building housing Giant Eagle and formerly Kmart.

In June 2025, Giant Eagle, the last remaining tenant at the mall closed their doors, citing aging facilities and the inability to renew their lease. Giant Eagle directed customers to shop at the nearby Crafton or Noblestown Rd. locations. [17]

References

  1. Lindeman, Teresa F. (October 11, 2012). "Parkway Center Mall developer plans large changes after loss of Kmart". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  2. "The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  3. "Parkway Center Mall to open". Beaver County Times. November 3, 1982. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Widmer, Jeff (December 6, 2012). "Parkway Center Mall ready to close doors for final time". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  5. "Green Tree exit ramps work starts". The Pittsburgh Press. December 26, 1982. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  6. Gallagher, Jim (December 6, 1988). "Zayre to close 4 stores". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  7. Iwanowski, Jay (September 2, 1991). "Empty David Weis mall space attracts Burlington, Phar-Mor". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  8. "Kaufmann's to open new clearance center". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 4, 1990. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  9. "Computer discounter coming". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 2, 1992. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Spatter, Sam (January 10, 2013). "Where does Parkway Center Mall's future lie?". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  11. "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Business Briefs Column". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 6, 2002. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  12. "Phar-Mor(e) opportunities". Pittsburgh Business Journal. August 12, 2002. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  13. Schooley, Tim (October 12, 2001). "Parkway Center Mall could lose pair of anchor tenants". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  14. Leonard, Kim (May 10, 2006). "Mall insecurity". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  15. Spatter, Sam (September 26, 2012). "Parkway Center Mall to lose Kmart". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  16. "Parkway Center Mall's demolition making way for new development". post-gazette.com. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  17. "Parkway Center Giant Eagle to close after 40 years". Post Gazette. May 9, 2025. Retrieved January 9, 2026.

40°25′23″N80°02′10″W / 40.423°N 80.036°W / 40.423; -80.036