The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, or simply Pittsburgh Mills, is an ailing 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, the main retail center for the Allegheny Valley, as well as one of the largest in the state, with approximately 2 million square feet of retail space on. King of Prussia near Philadelphia remains the largest mall. The grand opening of the mall portion of Pittsburgh Mills was on July 14, 2005. Pittsburgh Mills was conceived and originally developed by the Mills Corporation, now Simon Property Group. On December 30, 2006, Mills Corporation announced it sold its stake in Pittsburgh Mills to its partner in the project, Zamias Services, Inc. of Johnstown. Because of this, Pittsburgh Mills is currently the only Mills-branded mall that is neither owned or managed by Simon in the United States. Vaughan Mills near Toronto and the recently opened CrossIron Mills outside Calgary, Alberta, are the only other Mills-type malls that are not owned or managed by Simon. To date, it is the last Mills mall built in the United States. It is the first Landmark Mills property to feature two full-price department stores—JCPenney and Kaufmann's, along with a Sears Grand store, which closed in 2015. Although the typical Landmark Mills mall is synonymous with outlet shopping, Pittsburgh Mills is the only center to offer an entire lineup of full-price retailers that otherwise could be found in a traditional enclosed mall. The reason for this goes back to 1981, when developer Zamias Services, Inc. of Johnstown, planned to develop a regional mall on the Frazer Township site. Legal setbacks and financial difficulties had postponed the project for many years, until the Mills Corporation announced in 1986 that they would partner in conjunction with Zamias to build a retail and entertainment complex on the site. As part of a foreclosure sale, the mall was auctioned for $100 in January 2017.
Decline
Despite opening to much fanfare in 2005, the Galleria portion of Pittsburgh Mills would never see the success that its owners had hoped. Only a year after opening, Lucky Strike Lanes closed, and was eventually replaced with two restaurants, Dingbats and Abate Seafood, and a banquet hall. Sears Grand, which opened with the mall in 2005, also closed in 2015, ending a 10-year run. Starting in 2014 non-retail businesses began occupying space in the mall. These included real estate offices, armed forces recruiters, pharmacy and medical supply outlets, and fitness clubs. One of the largest non-traditional tenants, ITT Technical School, closed its location at the Galleria in 2016. In May 2020, Cinemark Theaters announced that as part of a nationwide consolidation of its theaters, it would not reopen the Pittsburgh Mills location after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. On June 4, 2020, JCPenney announced that it would be closing by around October 2020 as part of a plan to close 154 stores nationwide. After JCPenney closes, Macy's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Dick's Sporting Goods, will be the only anchor stores left. As of July 2020, the food court, which once housed two full-service restaurants, a Starbucks location, 10 counter restaurants, and several push-cart vendors, was completely vacant.
Mall complex components
The mall complex consists of two components. The first of these, named the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, is the indoor component of the complex which is divided into five themed neighborhoods corresponding to various Pittsburgh landmarks and cultural icons. One lap around the entire mall is about one mile in length, making it a popular spot for mall walkers. Two children's play areas are also located within the center, located in the cut-through corridor near the food court. The second component is an adjacent shopping center called the Village at Pittsburgh Mills. The Village contains a total of of store space and over 30 retailers. In mid-April 2015 the mall constructed a Sky Trail that occupied a corner of the food court, in hopes of generating entertainment and business. The corner previously was the site of a carousel and a staging area for small pageants and school band concerts. Mall management closed and removed the Sky Trail in fall of 2017.
