45-Year-Old Pennsylvania Mall Closes

The Lycoming Mall in northeast Pennsylvania has locked its doors after 45 years, NorthcentralPA.com reports. The shopping destinatiion, which opened in Pennsdale in 1978, is expected to give way to a mixed-use development.

The 650,000-square-foot mall originally had more than 80 stores, including now-defunct brands such as Hess’s, Woolworth, Deb, KB Toys, Bon-Ton, Baker’s Shoes, Christopher & Banks.

The mall’s death spiral began in earnest in 2017, when the mall lost several anchor stores and interior stores began to close. The few remaining tenants, except for Books-A-Million and Burlington Coat Factory, were given eviction notices earlier this month. (Those two stores have their own entrances and will remain open for now.)

Developer FAMVEST LLC is preparing to close on the sale of the mall with the intention of repurposing it as a mixed-use residential and commercial center, the article says.

The Lycoming Mall has plenty of company in calling it quits; according to a variety of published statistics, there are now about 700 malls left in the U.S., down from roughly 2500 in the 1980s.

As with many such complexes, the news outlet says the mall holds fond memories for many locals, who recall its fountains, arcades, shopping, food, shows in the center court, and Fourth of July fireworks.

Read more at NorthcentralPa.com.