Westmoreland Mall
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Westmoreland Mall, owned and operated by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a two-level, enclosed shopping mall in the municipality of Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. It was completed in 1977, extensively renovated and expanded in 1993-1994, and includes The Bon-Ton, JCPenney, Macy's, Macy's Home, Old Navy, Sears and Steve & Barry's as anchor tenants and over 200 retailers such as Hollister Co., American Eagle Outfitters, Charlotte Russe, New York & Company, Ann Taylor LOFT, Talbots/Talbots Petites and Yankee Candle. It contains over 1.3 million square feet of retail space on 103 acres, making it the third largest enclosed shopping center in Western Pennsylvania.
Surrounding the mall are over 25 retailers and dining establishments, including the Westmoreland Crossing strip shopping center, which opened in 1978 and features Carmike Cinemas, Dick's Sporting Goods, Michaels Arts and Crafts and T.J. Maxx. A variety of restaurants and outparcels such as Ground Round, Dollar Bank and Pepperwood Grille completes the mall complex.
It is located on the eastern side of the Pittsburgh metroplex on the heavily traveled U.S. Route 30 corridor. Adjacent to Westmoreland Mall, many big box retailers and restaurants can be found along the U.S. Route 30 and Donohoe Road retail area, which is the biggest concentration of retailers and other commercial businesses between Monroeville and Altoona.
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[edit] History
Prior to the development of Westmoreland Mall, the immediate area surrounding the site, known as Miller's Woods, was nothing more than acres of wooded land. A handful of small businesses such as the former Winky's Restaurant was located on U.S. Route 30. At the time, residents shopped in Greensburg's business district, or at Greengate Mall, west of the city. As the demand for more retail grew in the area, Kaufmann's and Sears approached the Rouse Company, owner of Greengate Mall, about the possibility of opening a new location at the facility. For some reason, Rouse didn't want to invest in the development to bring the stores in. Therefore, that opened the door to a new mall in the area.
In the mid-1970s, Adam Eidemiller, Inc., the development company that owned the land, submitted a proposal to build a mall with a Kaufmann's to the department store's parent May Department Stores but was rebuffed. Later, a joint venture between it and the Goodman Company was formed, which already had experience with developing extensive projects. When the Greengate deal fell through, Kaufmann's had no other choice but to go with the proposed mall development. It became the first store to open at the complex in late 1976.
In 1977, the 850,000-square-foot Westmoreland Mall officially opened its doors with Kaufmann's and Sears as the anchor stores and 89 other retailers. Special events at the new mall included a visit by Mr. McFeely of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The mall's South Annex (now Westmoreland Crossing), anchored by Shop 'n Save, opened in 1978. As the years passed, the mall continued to grow, with the addition of Troutman's Department Store (later replaced by Pomeroy's and The Bon-Ton) and 80,000 square feet of additional retail space in 1979. By the mid-1980s, the convenience center at the South Annex was constructed, with 40,000 square feet of space for 12 to 15 new stores and restaurants. The rapid growth of Westmoreland Mall eventually impacted the nearby Greengate Mall, which never undergone a major renovation or expansion since it opened in 1965 and anchored by Horne's, JCPenney and Montgomery Ward.
In order to keep up with retail trends, Westmoreland Mall went through a $33 million renovation and expansion project, which began in 1993 and ended with the grand opening of JCPenney, which relocated from Greengate Mall, in 1994. The expansion also brought another 66,000 square feet for 20 new retailers and a spacious food court, as well as a three-level parking garage and a new entrance. The last major mall addition took place in 1999, when Carmike Cinemas opened a new 15-screen stadium-style seating movie theater abutting the annex. The former 4-screen movie theater and a couple of adjacent shops at the mall were converted into Kaufmann's Home, which has been since renamed Macy's Home.
- 60 years before the site became a mall, its natural beauty and attraction led it to become a camp site for the likes of Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison and naturalist John Burroughs [1].
- Building the $35 million mall (in 1977) took 5.5 million pounds of steel, 9.2 acres of roof and enough electrical wiring to reach from Greensburg to Harrisburg. [2].
- Original tenants still at the mall since its 1977 opening include Borders Express (formerly Waldenbooks), Claire's, f.y.e. (for your entertainment, formerly Camelot Music and Record Town, which had two different locations at the mall), GNC, Kamps Shoes, Kay Jewelers (formerly DeRoy), The Limited, Macy's (formerly Kaufmann's), Men's Wearhouse (formerly Coach House), Pearle Vision, Plumb Gold (formerly Earring Tree), RadioShack, Sears, Spencer Gifts, Sterling Optical, Things Remembered, Tobacco Village, Trombino Music Center (formerly Lowrey Music) and Zales Jewelers [3].
- In January 2003, Westmoreland Mall was sold for $112.8 million to the Tennessee-based CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
[edit] Media
- Westmoreland Mall was used as a setting in the book Every Nine Seconds by Joseph Brockton and mentioned in The Malling of America by William S. Kowinski.
[edit] Trivia
- The Light-Up Night celebration and Santa Spectacular takes place every November, attracting thousands of people to the mall to experience a tradition that has been continuous throughout the years. Many people gather around the holiday village in Center Court to witness the lighting of the 30-foot Christmas tree and to see the indoor fireworks display that follows it. It is similar to the one at the now-defunct Greengate Mall, which was regionally known for its exquisite Christmas displays.
- It is home to Carmike 15, the largest movie theater in the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania.
- Being centralized within Westmoreland County, the mall is a popular place to visit on U.S. Route 30, along with Greengate Centre. In addition, it is a popular attraction for families and teenagers alike; the latter being notorious for congregating at the mall on Friday and Saturday evenings.
- It is one of two CBL malls owned in the Pittsburgh area, the other being Monroeville Mall in Monroeville. Both malls are marketed together through various media outlets.
- The mall's American flag is prominently located adjacent to the upper level entrance of Sears.
[edit] Anchor stores
[edit] Westmoreland Mall
- The Bon-Ton (99,800 sq. ft.)
- JCPenney (126,994 sq. ft.)
- Macy's (168,341 sq. ft.)
- Macy's Home (24,370 sq. ft.)
- Old Navy (20,257 sq. ft.)
- Sears (200,071 sq. ft.)
- Steve & Barry's (33,118 sq. ft.)
[edit] Westmoreland Crossing
- Carmike Cinemas (56,255 sq. ft.)
- Dick's Sporting Goods (51,000 sq. ft.)
- Michaels Arts and Crafts (25,000 sq. ft.)
- T.J. Maxx (25,202 sq. ft.)
[edit] Food Court
The food court, located on the upper level near JCPenney, opened in 1994 as part of the mall's renovation and expansion project. As with most shopping malls, it is a popular area for guests. In the center of the food court, an elevated dining area is open to diners.
[edit] Eateries and restaurants
- Auntie Anne's (located outside of food court)
- Bear Creek Coffee Company
- Chick-fil-A (located outside of food court)
- The Cookie Store
- Dairy Queen
- Famous Wok
- The Great Steak & Potato Company
- Japanese Best Cuisine
- McDonald's
- Ruby Tuesday
- Subway
- Villa Pizza
[edit] External links
| Pittsburgh Metro Shopping Malls and Centers |
|---|
| Pittsburgh Central: Downtown Retail | Station Square | Southside Works | Northshore | Mt. Washington | University District | Strip District | Shadyside |
| Pittsburgh's North Hills: Pittsburgh Mills | Ross Park Mall | Northway Mall | Grove City Outlets | North Hills Village | Waterworks Mall | Clearview Mall | Cranberry Mall |
| Pittsburgh's West Hills & Airport: AirMall | The Mall at Robinson | Robinson Town Centre | Beaver Valley Mall | The Pointe at North Fayette | Collier Crossing |
| Pittsburgh's South Hills: South Hills Village | Century III Mall | The Galleria | The Waterfront | SouthPointe Center | Victory Center |
| Pittsburgh's East Hills: Monroeville Mall | Westmoreland Mall | Greengate Centre | Edgewood Towne Center | Miracle Mile |
