Wal-Mart / Cinemark to Monroeville Mall? (move, development, outside)

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

A theatre will draw all types of knuckleheads to the mall.

No more so than a Walmart would.

I was at Monroeville Mall several weeks back, specifically because of the zombie connection. (It was a silly project we were working on, not typically a big fan of that stuff.) In the back of a store on the lower level there's a little museum. Monroeville Zombies -

Apart from that, no appeal to me at all, but of course I live on the opposite side of town. Even if I was close, I avoid indoor malls anyway. I doubt there's a store in there I would go to regularly. Would pop in only for something specific and then get the hell out of there, which is what I do at Ross Park, even though that place is in much nicer shape.

I won't say the only thing, because I'm not sure, but one thing REALLY worth going to Monroeville for is Moio's Moio's Italian Pastry Shop - Cakes, pies, cookies, wedding cakes, and Italian pastries.

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by Benzman66

At 80K feet, the Wal Mart would NOT have a full line grocery department like the supercenters do, however, still have the essentials like bread, cereal, etc, like many of the smaller Wal Marts in the area.

Well according to KDKA, this smaller-sized Walmart would have a full-service grocery area as well as a general merchandise section. This would actually be a new concept for Walmart, not like their original stores before the Supercenter concept. I think Walmart could be the next Sears or Montgomery Ward if they decide to move into malls, there's vacant anchors in a lot of malls that Walmart (or even Target) could use. Also, I'm assuming that JCPenney might be considering relocation because the cost to renovate their existing store would cost too much since it's a 230,000 square foot store and since it was built in 1969, it's certain that there would be tons of asbestos in that building. Also, they are opening smaller format locations and this could pave the way for them to open up a smaller location in the mall that would incorporate their newer concept, which may include a Sephora cosmetics shop within the store.

[neurodistortion]

Penney's could move to former Boscov's - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The current plan would be to relocate JCPenney into the former Boscov's. The department store would occupy two levels of the three-story building, which makes me believe that the first floor would be set aside for another retailer. Perhaps it could be Walmart that was previously speculated, or even Dick's Sporting Goods. Hopefully it's the latter rather than the former.

As for the existing JCPenney anchor, part of that space, presumably the store's upper level, would be converted into a megaplex theater, which I believe could be a Cinemark due to CBL's other development in Settlers Ridge, which already has a Cinemark theater. Nearby Pittsburgh Mills, while not a CBL mall, also has a Cinemark as an anchor tenant. That leaves the bottom floor of the existing JCPenney in question, which encompasses some 100,000 square feet. Could an ice rink be coming back to Monroeville Mall, or perhaps a new food court? If CBL is going to spend the money to shuffle retailers around and build the movie theater, they might as well give the mall interior a major remodeling, removing those 60s-era skylights in place of new ones and lay new marble tile throughout the mall to give it a more upscale look.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Monroeville will soon become the Night of the Living Dead.

Actually, I feel it will become East Hills shopping center at some point. It would have all been saved if the kept the ice ring. Ice time is so hard to come by and if they still had the rink the kids parents that drive them to practice would be killing time shopping. Most of the kids parents that play hockey have a few bucks as well. Oh well, sometimes change can be a bad thing. That rink set that mall apart. Soon, it will be East Hills. You know the one with tumble weeds rolling by in the empty lots.

[youngabe]

Granted I do most of my mall shopping at Ross Park, but I never want to see the death of Monroeville Mall. I know it sounds cliche, but I grew up going to Monroeville Mall, I still live nearby and just plain don't want to see that happen! Monroeville still has a strong enough retail climate that the mall can easily still be a staple.

Look at the Route 22 and surrounding corridor. Businesses come and go all the time. Wickes Furniture sat vacant for how long? It's now the new convention center which allowed CVS Caremark to open offices in the former ExpoMart. The former Raddison was renovated into a nice new Doubletree Hotel. Chili's sat vacant two years, only to be occupied by a very nice Mexican restaurant, Patrons. In neighboring Wilkins Township, the former CompUSA will soon be occupied by H.H. Gregg, a new electronics retailer to the Pittsburgh area and the development with the new Residence Inn at the former Showcase Cinemas will be opening in April.

Monroeville/Wilkins is far from dead, contrary to the belief of some folks. I think anything they can do for Monroeville Mall is a positive step. It needs something, for sure, so I'm all for any unique development they can make happen!

[NANDOAL]

Originally Posted by youngabe

Granted I do most of my mall shopping at Ross Park, but I never want to see the death of Monroeville Mall. I know it sounds cliche, but I grew up going to Monroeville Mall, I still live nearby and just plain don't want to see that happen! Monroeville still has a strong enough retail climate that the mall can easily still be a staple.

Look at the Route 22 and surrounding corridor. Businesses come and go all the time. Wickes Furniture sat vacant for how long? It's now the new convention center which allowed CVS Caremark to open offices in the former ExpoMart. The former Raddison was renovated into a nice new Doubletree Hotel. Chili's sat vacant two years, only to be occupied by a very nice Mexican restaurant, Patrons. In neighboring Wilkins Township, the former CompUSA will soon be occupied by H.H. Gregg, a new electronics retailer to the Pittsburgh area and the development with the new Residence Inn at the former Showcase Cinemas will be opening in April.

Monroeville/Wilkins is far from dead, contrary to the belief of some folks. I think anything they can do for Monroeville Mall is a positive step. It needs something, for sure, so I'm all for any unique development they can make happen!

Also heard the the development next to the new Residence Inn in Wilkins Twp. is gonna house a Bravo Italian restaurant and Buffalo Wild Wings is moving there from across the street.

[youngabe]

Originally Posted by NANDOAL

Also heard the the development next to the new Residence Inn in Wilkins Twp. is gonna house a Bravo Italian restaurant and Buffalo Wild Wings is moving there from across the street.

HA! You know what funny...I passed that development the other night and said to my friend..."That looks like a Bravo, but I doubt they'd put one here since there is one at the Waterfront." But that's AWESOME and true considering I picked up on Bravo just from the facade they have built thus far! Good news!

[raubre]

They still need a movie theater alongthat stretch somewhere.

[gg]

Originally Posted by youngabe

Granted I do most of my mall shopping at Ross Park, but I never want to see the death of Monroeville Mall. I know it sounds cliche, but I grew up going to Monroeville Mall, I still live nearby and just plain don't want to see that happen! Monroeville still has a strong enough retail climate that the mall can easily still be a staple.

I grew up going to Monroeville Mall as well and before that East Hills Shopping Center. Ah, I am showing my age. East Hills of course became all black and was closed down, except the Kentucky Fried Chicken. Monroeville is heading in that direction. It is just some mall. You put the ice rink back in and all of a sudden it becomes a special mall again. The old Pup A Go Go and that fancy restaurant that had a nice window into the ice rink. Such a cool place with the clock and so-on. I remember in college talking about the movie Dawn of the Dead and my friends asked me about the mall. They couldn't believe it had an ice rink inside. Of course I had to inform them they ripped it out to put really cheesy shops in that spot and now it is just like any other mall. Nothing special. What a shame.

[Copanut]

I grew up there and the Ice Rink was pretty cool. We had a bachelor party there and ended up at Pittsburgh Hospital in Wilkinsburg when my best college buddie decided to "hall slide" on the ice and split his nose open. Ah, higher education.

Things change, that area, IMHO is on the decline. I've tracked home sales that show declining value. The High School has shrunk from a high of 750 students in the late 70's to about 300 now.

But the ice rink was cool.