As Pittsburgh Mills’ parking lot continues to crater and its owner looks to unload a property that shows the challenge facing malls, a once-vibrant part of American commercialism that has faded, its neighbor to the south — Monroeville Mall — remains on a path toward redevelopment.
Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock noted that even as the Monroeville site continues to operate as a traditional shopping mall, developer Cypress Equities plans to seek public input as design concepts for a newly envisioned site come to fruition.
“My hope is that it’s before the end of summer,” Gresock said.
Monroeville Mall is owned by Walmart.
What’s in a mall?
Stephanie Cegielski, a spokesperson for the former International Council of Shopping Centers (which now just goes by ICSC), said many traditional malls across the U.S. have begun to diversify their overall footprints.
“They’re transforming into mixed-use centers that seamlessly address the needs of the surrounding community,” she said.
Rather than simply stacking up stores, some modern retail centers combine residential and commercial uses like retail, hospitality, office and entertainment spaces.
Through a limited-liability corporation called South Saturn Ridge LLC, Walmart purchased multiple pieces of property within the mall’s footprint. They include the main mall building along with the Cinemark theater, mall annex and a commercial right-of-way for $18.5 million.
In addition, it purchased the property where Barnes & Noble is situated ($6 million, 6.92 acres), the JC Penney and Dick’s Sporting Goods building ($7 million, 10.6 acres), the Best Buy property ($2 million, 3.12 acres) and a 32,000-square-foot commercial auxiliary building that was formerly home to a KeyBank branch.
Parcels along the northern edge of the mall property, including the Goodyear Auto Center, the former Solevo and current ZenLeaf marijuana dispensaries and the recently built Henry Parham VA Clinic were not part of the purchase.
More than shopping
Traditionally located in areas with quick access to multi-lane highways, the evolution of the shopping mall trends toward community engagement, Cegielski said.
“Beyond offering shopping opportunities, these centers can address community issues like alleviating housing pressures and offering places for consumers to spend time together outside of work and home,” she said.
The 1.2-million-square-foot Monroeville property served as a commercial anchor for the community when it was constructed in the late 1960s. Like many larger shopping malls, its daily business has been affected over the years by the rise of online retailing. Several retailers that once had a presence at the mall — including Hollister, Forever 21 and Party City — are no longer there.
On a recent Wednesday morning, activity at the mall was limited mostly to seniors getting exercise and a handful of shoppers.
Macy’s is one of the few anchor retailers remaining at the mall. A Macy’s spokesperson said the company is evaluating its location at the mall and has yet to make a final decision about the store’s future.
Cegielski said today’s ideal anchors “are less about a single type of retailer and more about a strategic combination of diverse tenants that fulfill various consumer needs in the community.”
Entertainment-industry tenants are growing in popularity, Cegielski said, a trend reflected in the addition of the Cinemark movie theater in Monroeville Mall. And while the nearby VA property was not part of the mall purchase, she said many retail centers are adding health-and-wellness facilities in an effort to give patients the opportunity to do some shopping before or after their appointments.
Texas-based developer Cypress Equities will manage the property and lead efforts to re-imagine Monroeville Mall into a new retail and commercial destination, according to a news release. Cypress officials declined comment for this story but have said they plan to redevelop the mall with a mix of uses, including many of the things Cegielski discussed — retail, entertainment, restaurants and spaces for residential, hospitality and office elements. The company has a portfolio of more than 200 real estate investments valued at about $5.2 billion.
Walmart spokesman Mark Rickel said the company had no comment on its next steps in redeveloping the mall.
Mall sites evolving
Monroeville Mall is not the only major retail property in the region undergoing major changes. Namdar Realty, which owns the Pittsburgh Mills complex, recently put the property on the market. An email received by some local real estate agents from mall owner Namdar Realty Group’s chief operating officer, Dan Dilmanian, says Namdar is “quietly exploring an off-market sale.”
According to Namdar, the mall building, situated on 43 acres in Frazer, is 900,000 square feet and has a 35% occupancy rate. Nearby tenants Walmart and Sam’s Club filed a 2024 lawsuit alleging Namdar was negligent by ignoring much-needed road repairs at the mall complex.
In Westmoreland County, the Westmoreland Mall property was the object of some positive news, with the recent announcement that a feasibility study showed the complex could be a suitable location for a convention center that also includes hotel space.
The study, launched last year by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, recommended 50,000 square feet of event space and a hotel with a restaurant, bar and indoor pool. Some findings from the study were revealed this month during a public licensing hearing for Live Pittsburgh Casino, also situated on the mall property.
Such a facility could fill a need left behind by the closing of the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Hempfield in 2015. That building was demolished in 2021.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at [email protected].
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