Shenango Valley Mall to close at the end of the month

[TheFugitive]

The Shenango Valley Mall, located in Hermitage, PA about an hour north of Pittsburgh, is slated to close on May 31.

https://www.sharonherald.com/news/thousands-bid-final-farewell-to-shenango-valley-mall-before-its-fall/article_558ded00-0a61-11ef-a05e-d7934ca8ccd5.html

The sprawling mall, which opened in March of 1968, suffered a fatal blow in 2017 when both Sears and Macy's announced that they were pulling out of anchor locations at the same time.  They are down to just ten tenants plus the JC Penney anchor.  The mall has been through several ownership changes and local officials wanted it torn down and replaced with a mixed-use development.  The original owners of the mall, Forest City Enterprises, gave JC Penney a veto over any changes to the mall in order to get them to sign a lease and move in a year after the mall opened.  In the opposite of what generally happens Penney's exercised its veto and effectively blocked the mall from being shut-down.  This produced a multi-year legal battle which eventually wound-up at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  In January Penney's decided to end the battle and announced that the store would close at the end of May.  The other remaining tenants have been given notices to vacate by that date.

There is a section of this mall which was sealed-off from public access during a remodel and has retained its pristine vintage 70's decor.  It can be seen in YouTube videos giving tours of the mostly empty mall.  Plans are to begin demolition as soon as possible once all of the tenants have left.