Pittsburgh Mills

The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, or simply Pittsburgh Mills, is a super-regional shopping mall northeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Frazer Township, Allegheny County, along PA Route 28 near its intersection with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Initially intended to be a prominent retail center for the Allegheny Valley with 905,667 ft2 (84,139 m2) of retail space on 200 acres (0.8 km2), the grand opening of the mall portion of Pittsburgh Mills was on July 14, 2005. It is the only Mills-branded mall in the United States that was not part of the Simon Property Group acquisition of The Mills Corporation in April 2007. However, as of 2026, due to mismanagement and high vacancy rates, Pittsburgh Mills is a dead mall, with only 20+ stores remaining. Namdar Realty Group has no plans for redevelopment, though they are considering to sell the mall. Overview Pittsburgh Mills was conceived and originally developed by Mills Corporation, now Simon Property Group. On December 30, 2006, the Mills Corporation announced it sold its stake in Pittsburgh Mills to its partner in the project, Zamias Services, Inc. of Johnstown. Because of this, as of April 2007, Pittsburgh Mills is the only Mills-branded mall that is neither owned or managed by Simon in the United States. Vaughan Mills near Toronto, CrossIron Mills outside Calgary, and Tsawwassen Mills in Delta are the only other Mills-type malls that are not owned or managed by Simon, as CrossIron and Tsawwassen Mills were developed separately by Ivanhoé Cambridge, and all three of these malls are in Canada. To date, Pittsburgh Mills is the last Mills mall developed in the United States. It was the first Landmark Mills property to feature two full-price department stores—JCPenney and Kaufmann's (later Macy's)—along with a Sears Grand store. History Development and opening The planning and construction process of Pittsburgh Mills was delayed by almost 25 years due to a combination of legal setbacks and financial difficulties. 1980s In 1981, George D. Zamias announced plans for a $50 million shopping center in Frazer Township, with over 300 acres near PA Route 28 being rezoned for commercial use. The mall was planned to be called Frazer Heights Galleria. Due to a "sluggish economy", Zamias announced in June 1983 that construction of the mall would be delayed until the fall of 1984. However, the mall was delayed again due to a mid-80s recession known as the steel crisis. In July 1986, it was announced that the project would be abandoned. In October 1987, Damian Zamias stated that the mall was ready to resume development and begin construction, now costing $80 million. This was once again stalled in the summer of 1988, when PennDOT announced that the proposed $35 million Route 28 interchange needed for the mall site was not on its 12-year construction plan. Without a highway, the mall could not even exist in the first place, and vice versa. George Zamias resolved this in the fall of 1989, announcing that the mall would break ground in October of that year. The project's cost was now $100 million. 1990s In winter 1991, an anti-mall group known as Citizens for Frazer Township tried to block the project even further. Members argued that the land (now the site of the mall) was a protected wetland and should not be destroyed for commercial use. They strongly opposed the use of public funds for the project, specifically the $58 million in taxpayer money used for the mall's surrounding infrastructure and the dedicated State Route 28 interchange. The group also fought to preserve the "once peaceful countryside" of Frazer Township, viewing the massive 1.1 million-square-foot complex as an "atrocity" of urban sprawl. They accurately predicted that the Alle-Kiski Valley could not financially support a project of that scale, especially given the proximity to the established Monroeville Mall and Ross Park Mall. In fact, TribLive stated in November 2024 that Pittsburgh Mills "should've never been built." In April 1992, Zamias announced that he plans to create his own municipality, called Frazer Heights Borough. His goal was to "secede" the mall's 300+ acres from the township to gain control over his own zoning and tax laws, effectively bypassing the local government that was fighting him. However, the courts ultimately denied his request for an injunction to stop the township from repealing ordinances favorable to his project, which the township officials viewed as yet another "hurdle" in a process that had already dragged on for over 10 years. Zamias disagreed and made the following statement: I think the ruling is totally unrelated to anything that happens in the future. I'm still pursuing the tack of borough and corporation to save my project. Zamias announced in December 1997 that the mall would be operational in time for Christmas 2000. Later, in February 1999, potential tenants have pledged to lease more than half the space at the planned mall. 2000s Frazer Heights Galleria was delayed once again when Zamias Services, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2001. However, Damian and George Zamias promised that the mall would not be canceled. In June 2002, the Arlington, Virginia-based Mills Corporation, alongside KanAm, a German-based firm, announced that it was nearing an agreement with the Zamiases, promising that the mall, now known as Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, would begin construction within one year later. The mall would now cost $285 million, and site work for the project began in April 2003. In November 2003, a tax-financing deal for Pittsburgh Mills was approved by local and county governments, with a value of $17.9 million over the next 20 years. The deal would divert 75% of the new property tax revenue from the project to pay for infrastructure improvements in the area. Pittsburgh Mills finally opened its doors to the public on July 14, 2005, after more than 20 years being stuck on the drawing board. It was the first Landmark Mills property to feature two full-price department stores—JCPenney and Kaufmann's (now Macy's), along with a Sears Grand store. Additionally, unlike other Landmark Mills malls, Pittsburgh Mills offered a mix of outlet and general shopping, rather than being synonymous with outlet stores. 2006–present: 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. May Department Stores, which owned Kaufmann's, was acquired by Federated Department Stores and became Macy's in September 2006. The Mills Corporation pulled out of the project in December 2006 during its financial struggles. Linens 'n Things closed in 2008, along with Borders Books, which closed in 2011. A NASCAR SpeedPark was originally planned to open at the mall near Dick's Sporting Goods, however this was canceled shortly after the mall's opening and the plot of land as well as the interior mall entrance space remained vacant. 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. Sears Grand closed in January 2015, ending a 10-year run. In mid-April 2015, Zamias Services 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. The Sky Trail was closed and removed in October 2017. One of the largest non-traditional tenants, ITT Technical Institute, closed its location at Pittsburgh Mills in September 2016 following financial struggles and lawsuits of the company. As part of a foreclosure sale in January 2017, the mall was auctioned to the holder of the mortgage on the property, Wells Fargo, for $100. In 2018, Pittsburgh Mills was acquired by Namdar Realty Group for $11 million. Namdar has a reputation for being a "retail slumlord" that skips maintenance and paying taxes. As of 2023, Namdar was $11.5 million delinquent on taxes which if not paid by October 2 would result in a sheriff's sale of most of the property parcels. The Macy's would not be included in the sale. On September 29, Namdar paid the back taxes and the sheriff's sale was canceled. In May 2020, Cinemark Theaters announced that as part of the nationwide shutdown of the economy, it would not reopen the Pittsburgh Mills location after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. On June 4, 2020, JCPenney announced that it would close its store at Pittsburgh Mills by around October 2020 as part of a plan to close 154 stores nationwide. In January 2021, Goodrich Quality Theaters announced that they would reopen the former Cinemark in spring 2021. In September 2024, Panera Bread appeared to be preparing to relocate from the mall to the nearby Village at Pittsburgh Mills shopping plaza. Macy's was listed for sale in April 2025, with plans to close by the end of Q1 2026. Joann Fabrics closed in May 2025 due to the chain filing for bankruptcy. On June 8, 2025, Dick's Sporting Goods closed their store in the mall, planning to relocate at the Waterworks Shopping Plaza's former Walmart space. As of July 2025, Namdar Realty Group is considering to sell the mall. Bath & Body Works closed its Pittsburgh Mills store on October 3, 2025, leaving the mall without any national tenants that are not anchors. On January 8, 2026, Macy's announced that it would be closing as part of a plan to close 14 stores by the end of Q1 2026. This would leave the mall with only M@C Discount and GQT as its two remaining anchors, further cementing its status as a dead mall. Namdar acquired the former Macy's building in mid-February 2026. As of April 2026, there are only about 20 stores left in the mall. The food court – which once housed two full-service restaurants, a Starbucks location, eight counter restaurants, and several push-cart vendors – is completely vacant. Announced on April 12, 2026, Macy's was scheduled to close on April 26. Maintenance issues As of January 2026, Namdar Realty Group faces nearly $29 million in total fines for hundreds of code violations resulting from leaving broken infrastructure unaddressed. Frazer Township officials reported that the roads surrounding Pittsburgh Mills have been described as a "moonscape," featuring potholes up to three feet wide and one foot deep. These craters have caused extensive vehicle damage and hindered emergency responders, leading to criminal "public nuisance" charges in April 2025 by the Allegheny County District Attorney. Lowe's, Walmart, and its membership-only division, Sam's Club, sent Namdar a cease-and-desist letter that forced Pitt Realty (local subsidiary of Namdar) to repair the property within 30 days. When this request was rejected, Walmart, Sam's Club, and Lowe's sued Namdar over road conditions in June 2025. Inside and around the mall, Bill Payne and other inspectors documented 364 specific violations, including: Defective doors, with at least 68 found to be rusting or shut. Crumbling sidewalks, stairs, and pillars. Broken drainage, with areas near anchor stores suffering from improper grading, leading to stagnant water. Even the floor has been neglected, with overgrown weeds and grass (some knee-high) consistently blanketing the exterior, contributing to the appearance of an abandoned mall. Mall complex The mall complex consists of two components. The first of these, named the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, is the 905,667-square-foot (84,139.2 m2) 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. It contains 161,168 square feet of gross leasable area (GLA) and currently 16 tenants. It was bought in 2021 by First National Realty Partners of New Jersey. Gallery See also List of largest shopping malls in the United States Retail apocalypse St. Louis Mills, another Landmark Mills mall also neglected by Namdar Franklin Mall, another Landmark Mills property in dead mall status American Dream (shopping mall), another successor mall that replaced a stalled one (Meadowlands Mills/Meadowlands Xanadú) References