With Monroeville Mall fully operational, the areas surrounding the mall began to develop as well. House of vintage taxidermy and Steampunk sculptures in a quiet Pittsburgh neighborhood. It actually would have been kind of cool if it was a dead mall, in a way, because then it might have kept more of its original 1970s character as seen in the movie. If the mall doesn't entice you on its own, also in Monroeville is the Night of the Living Dead Museum. With Monroeville Mall fully operational, the areas surrounding the mall began to develop as well. 1969. [5] It would also affect business at the nearby Miracle Mile Shopping Center, which was greatly impacted following the relocation of its JCPenney store to the Monroeville Mall, although business would gradually level out over time. On June 4, 2020, it was announced that JCPenney would be closing as part of a plan to close 154 stores nationwide. Tragedy Strikes At The Regatta The Monroeville Mall was at center stage in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. This was a reference to George Romero’s classic zombie film, Dawn of the Dead, which was filmed at the Monroeville Mall in the 1970s. Check for hours of operation before going. Offer subject to change without notice. The main entrance area fronting the mall was redeveloped into an 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) lifestyle center called The District. No purchase necessary. In the mid-1960s, Don-Mark Realty (later Oxford Development Company) proposed building the largest shopping mall in the United States in the form of Monroeville Mall. The A&P closed in 1992, and was replaced by a Burlington Coat Factory in 1993, Dick's Sporting Goods in 1995, OfficeMax in 1998, and LensCrafters eye shop in the fall of 1999. [13] However on July 9, 2020, it was removed from the closing list so it will remain open for now. It contains 1,418,700 square feet (131,800 m2) of leaseable retail space on 170 acres (0.7 km2), making it the largest shopping complex in Western Pennsylvania in terms of square footage. With Monroeville Mall fully operational, the areas surrounding the mall began to develop as well. The mall contained 125 stores on two levels and featured the Ice Palace, a skating rink. Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. Gone are the fountains, most of the plants that adorned the mall, escalators, and unfortunately the clock tower has been removed for now. We moved to Monroeville in 1970. Collection . 4. I lived in Garden City. Pittsburghers from all over, however, flocked to Monroeville Mall to go ice skating at the Ice Palace. [12] Macy's Backstage opened in 2018. Saved by Dale McCune. What Is Killing Albatross Chicks in the Falkland Islands? In 2009, the ExpoMart was converted into office space and a smaller convention center opened along Mall Boulevard in a renovated former Wickes Furniture store. Monroeville, PA 15146. Inside the mall, extensive upgrades to the mall's entrances, restrooms and common areas were completed, with new escalators, lighting fixtures, railings, flooring and seating among the new amenities. Suburban malls were the place to be - especially for teens - back in the 1980s. In November 1954, the Miracle Mile Shopping Center opened for business with numerous shops and eateries. The existing lighting will be removed, and new contemporary sconces will brighten the common areas. In fact, more than 5,000,000 cubic yards (3,800,000 m3) of dirt would be moved to level the 110-acre (0.45 km2) portion of the 280-acre (1.1 km2) site, with excavation costs totaling $2.5 million at the time. The five and dime G. C. Murphy store provided a lower-price alternative for shoppers on the lower level. Type . To learn more or withdraw consent, please visit our cookie policy. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. In 2005, Federated eventually merged all its divisions (including the former Joseph Horne/Lazarus locations) into Macy's as part of a nationwide rebranding program. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Sure it's not Ross Park Mall but, it was recently remodeled and there is a new out door section of the mall with a few new stores like Ulta and restaurants like Monterey Bay Fish Grotto. It is located at Mall Circle Drive, across from Monroeville Convention Center,[3] venue of the Pittsburgh Comicon, a comic book convention, from 2009 to 2014. This photo looks like its still in the 1970s. Not 100% sure, though. Another unique feature was the location of a local Italian restaurant directly adjacent to the rink, with large picture windows in its dining rooms that gave patrons direct views of skaters on the rink. Episode 1483 of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Chef Brockett participated in a cake decorating contest that was filmed in the location of the old fountain court at the Monroeville Mall. aSa’s first office is in the East Office Complex of Monroeville Mall. Surrounding the mall, the massive parking lots were paved and spaced to accommodate 6,500 vehicles. I uploaded this to YouTube to share here. Filming inside the mall began in October 1977, but had to be suspended when Christmas decorations were hung shortly after Thanksgiving. This icon of the Atomic Age now lays dormant. This art shopping center still boasts pieces of its past as a textile factory. If you ask one of the security guards nicely, they just may agree to take you on a personal tour of areas where the movie was filmed that aren't open to the public. View all 9 Locations. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The more recent Monroeville Mall issues were from outsiders being bused/driven in, not locals. The Monroeville Historical Society’s Photo Archives includes more than 800 photos of the Monroeville/Patton Township area spanning the years from the mid-1800s to today. © 2021 Atlas Obscura. This Aztec structure remained hidden until the demolition of a supermarket exposed the lost temple. Westmoreland Mall is a two-level, enclosed super-regional shopping and casino complex in the municipality of Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh, and owned and operated by CBL Properties.It was completed in 1977 and was extensively renovated and expanded in 1993–1994. In later years, most of the mall's decorative ponds and bridges would be replaced by numerous carts and kiosks. All rights reserved. With David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross. Retail anchor tenants include H&M, JCPenney, Macy's, Macy's Backstage, Macy's Home and Old Navy, … Website (412) 372-1429. From there about 10-15 minutes down the road is Evans Cemetery, the site where the Night of the Living Dead series began. Despite local residents questioning whether the land was indeed a prime location for development, Don-Mark was confident that the site was perfect for the proposed mall. On February 7, 2015, a juvenile later identified as 17-year-old Tarod Thornhill entered the men's department on the lower level of Macy's department store about 7:30 p.m. and shot his intended target and two bystanders, leaving two with critical injuries. In 1977, George A. Romero began filming Dawn of the Dead on location at the Monroeville Mall. Upgrading the restrooms is also on the schedule, with new tile, granite and cherry wood finishes. 10. In 1986, after years of declining sales, BATUS announced that Gimbels was on the block. As a result of this incident, the mall has instituted a youth escort policy which requires all youths 18 and under to be escorted by a parent or guardian 21+ on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to close. Well, the Monroeville Mall just happens to be the main shooting location for George A. Romero's iconic zombie movie " Dawn of the Dead " (1978)! Murphy’s Meats and Isaly’s in the Miracle Mile in 1991. The mall is most famous for being the filming location of the George A. Romero horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978). The mall's opening would contribute to the eventual decline and closure of the East Hills Shopping Center in nearby Penn Hills, a smaller outdoor mall also anchored by Horne's. For while Night inspired its share of copycats throughout the 1970s ... zombies in a shopping mall. Please click below to consent to the use of this technology while browsing our site. There you can find props, a miniature set of the mall, and actual pieces of the old escalators that were removed. In November 1954, the Miracle Mile Shopping Center opened for business with numerous shops and eateries. 6. Share. Just about every Pittsburgher knows that the horror flick, Dawn of the Dead, was filmed at Monroeville Mall in the mid-1970s. The only original shop that was seen in the movie is the arcade. your own Pins on Pinterest [10] In 2013, the museum was relocated to Evans City, PA, home of the original film Night Of The Living Dead. aSa INCORPORATED FEBRUARY 2, 1970… Unable to find a buyer for the entire chain, BATUS closed down the entire Gimbels Pittsburgh division, selling or closing all locations. 0753. [1] It is located along heavily traveled U.S. Route 22 Business (US 22 Bus.) Monroeville, PA 15146. Image . Filming resumed in January after the decorations were removed. Among the witnesses were NFL Wide Receiver Terrelle Pryor, who tweeted about the incident afterward. 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