Pennsylvania · Pittsburgh · Century III Mall

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Century III Mall

Fig. 1. “The exterior of the closed Century III Mall taken from a drone . . . in West Mifflin.” Photograph by Benjamin B. Braun, May 11, 2023, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,^[1] fair use.

Fig. 2. Century III Mall no longer appears on Google Maps; on the ground, however, its remains are impossible to miss, on the other side of Century III Mall Road (which is in inexcusable condition), from Century III Plaza and the Walmart, between Clairton Road and Clairton Boulevard (Pennsylvania Route 51). Screenshot from Google Maps, taken by author, May 21, 2023, fair use.

This mall, located near the apartment I first moved into when I returned to Pittsburgh in 2019, soon got my attention; the JC Penney store was still open but everything else was closed^[2] and the JC Penney would close the following year.^[3]

Sam Bojarski, “Century III Mall boarded up; only JCPenney remains,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 5, 2019, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/century-iii-faces-uncertain-future-with-one-tenant-remaining/

Jacob Tierney, “Century III Mall’s JCPenney to close,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 5, 2020, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/century-iii-malls-jcpenney-to-close/

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Century III Mall: Video showing mall’s current state of disrepair hits 1 million views,” September 29, 2021, https://triblive.com/business/century-iii-mall-video-showing-malls-current-state-of-disrepair-hits-1-million-views/

Cara Sapida, “Century III Mall named to Pittsburgh’s ‘Top 10 Buildings to Save’ list,” WPXI, December 30, 2021, https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/century-iii-mall-named-top-10-buildings-save-list/TPI7BWWG7NCOTA5GMO2FDDRN6Q/

Mark Belko, “Amazon might have its eye on Century III Mall, Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills sites,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 5, 2022, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2022/05/04/century-iii-mall-galleria-at-pittsburgh-mills-amazon-west-mifflin-churchill-frazer-new-stanton-north-versailles-warehouse/stories/202205040074

Neena Hagen, “Officials set to discuss whether Century III Mall should be condemned,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 20, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/05/19/century-iii-mall-west-mifflin-condemn/stories/202305190077

Neena Hagen, “The fall of the Century: Once a retail shopping jewel, the West Mifflin mall has been left to rot,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 21, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/05/21/centuryiii-west-mifflin-mall-slag-heap-kaufmanns-sears-police-closed-crime/stories/202305210039

Jeff Himler, “Teen falls through roof of shuttered Century III Mall,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 4, 2023, https://triblive.com/local/south-hills/teen-falls-through-roof-of-shuttered-century-iii-mall/

Neena Hagen, “‘We have to do something’: West Mifflin officials will soon decide the fate of Century III Mall,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 11, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/06/11/west-mifflin-century-iii-mall-at-moonbeam-roof-condemn-hearing/stories/202306070103

Justin Vellucci, “Judge fines Century III Mall owners more than $240K over conditions at West Mifflin site,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 5, 2023, https://triblive.com/business/judge-fines-century-iii-mall-owners-more-than-240k-over-conditions-at-west-mifflin-site/

Neena Hagen, “‘Moonbeam needs to go’: Owner of Century III Mall has left a trail of shuttered and decaying malls nationwide,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 16, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/07/16/moonbeam-owner-century-iii-malls-nationwide/stories/202307160088

Michael DiVittorio, “West Mifflin Council unanimously condemns former Century III Mall,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 18, 2023, https://triblive.com/local/south-hills/former-century-iii-mall-condemned-by-west-mifflin-council/

Neena Hagen, “Owner of abandoned Century III Mall appeals $240K fine, setting October court date,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 10, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/career-workplace/2023/08/10/century-iii-west-mifflin-mall-neglect-appeal/stories/202308100102

Neena Hagen, “Owner of Century III Mall appeals condemnation as roof caves in,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 23, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/08/23/century-iii-mall-roof-owner-appeal/stories/202308220137

Neena Hagen, “Owner of Century III Mall faces two court hearings this month over unpaid fines and dangerous conditions,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 16, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/10/16/century-iii-mall-owner-court-hearings-unpaid-fines-dangerous-conditions/stories/202310150143

Neena Hagen, “Judge fines owner of Century III Mall $150K for rampant safety hazards,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 17, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/10/17/century-iii-moonbeam-mall-west-mifflin-safety-hazards/stories/202310170101

Neena Hagen, “Owner of Century III Mall fails to pay $150K fine for dangerous code violations,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 11, 2024, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2024/01/10/century-iii-moonbeam-mall-west-mifflin/stories/202401100095

Justin Vellucci, “DA files criminal charges against Century III, calls former mall a ‘monument to blight,’” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 30, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/da-files-criminal-charges-against-century-iii-calls-former-mall-monument-to-blight/

Neena Hagen, “Judge signs restraining order against absentee owners of Century III Mall,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 1, 2024, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2024/01/31/century-iii-restraining-order-moonbeam-capital-zappala/stories/202401310106

Paula Reed Ward, “Century III Mall owners joust with Allegheny County DA over razing blighted property,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, March 7, 2024, https://triblive.com/business/century-iii-mall-owners-joust-with-allegheny-county-da-over-razing-blighted-property/

Paula Reed Ward, “Judge gives Century III Mall owners until next month to prove they will raze the property,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, March 8, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/judge-gives-century-iii-mall-owners-until-next-month-to-prove-they-will-raze-the-property/

Neena Hagen, “After years of frustration, the demolition of Century III Mall could begin next week,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 20, 2024, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2024/03/19/century-iii-moonbeam-demolition-wet-mifflin/stories/202403190110

Tawnya Panizzi, “Demolition starts on Century III Mall,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, March 31, 2024, https://triblive.com/local/demolition-starts-on-century-iii-mall/

1. ^[1]Neena Hagen, “The fall of the Century: Once a retail shopping jewel, the West Mifflin mall has been left to rot,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 21, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/05/21/centuryiii-west-mifflin-mall-slag-heap-kaufmanns-sears-police-closed-crime/stories/202305210039↩
2. ^[2]Sam Bojarski, “Century III Mall boarded up; only JCPenney remains,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 5, 2019, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/century-iii-faces-uncertain-future-with-one-tenant-remaining/↩
3. ^[3]Jacob Tierney, “Century III Mall’s JCPenney to close,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 5, 2020, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/century-iii-malls-jcpenney-to-close/↩