Beaver Valley Mall
Beaver Valley Mall is a regional shopping center in Center Township, Pennsylvania, serving Beaver County and the western Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Beaver Valley Mall is a regional shopping center in Center Township, Pennsylvania, serving Beaver County and communities in the western Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The mall opened in 1970 with three major department-store anchors: The Joseph Horne Company, Gimbels, and Sears. Over time, each of those original anchor operations was replaced or rebranded as the American department-store sector consolidated and traditional enclosed malls faced increasing competition from newer retail centers and online commerce. The mall’s anchor history reflects several major changes in American retail. Gimbels closed its Pittsburgh-area operations in 1986 after its owner, BATUS, was unable to find a buyer for the chain. The Beaver Valley location was subsequently renovated and reopened as Kaufmann’s in 1987. Kaufmann’s later became part of Macy’s through Federated Department Stores’ acquisition of May Department Stores in 2006. Macy’s closed the store in March 2017 as part of a nationwide program of underperforming-store closures. The Joseph Horne Company operated at the mall until 1995; after later ownership changes and a period under the Lazarus nameplate, the location was closed by Federated in 1998 and subsequently reopened as Boscov’s. Sears was another original anchor, but its store closed in 2016 during the retailer’s broader contraction. Rural King announced plans in 2017 to renovate the former Sears building, and its Beaver Valley store opened on March 25, 2018. JCPenney added a fourth anchor in 1998 after relocating from Northern Lights Shopping Center in nearby Economy, while Dick’s Sporting Goods opened a fifth anchor store in 2007. A proposed redevelopment of the former Macy’s building, announced in 2018 as The Shops at Beaver Valley Mall, was intended to introduce additional retail, restaurants, and possible office, medical, or service uses. The project was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The building was instead adapted for a U-Haul self-storage center, with a Firehouse Subs location also opening in the broader redevelopment area. The property has experienced the tenant reductions and anchor departures associated with the challenges facing many older enclosed malls. Local commentary has often characterized Beaver Valley Mall as a declining or “dead” mall, with some shoppers favoring larger or newer regional centers such as Ross Park Mall and The Mall at Robinson. Nevertheless, the mall remains an operating retail property under Namdar Realty Group, with Boscov’s, Rural King, and a U-Haul storage operation among the prominently identified current occupants. Its role is primarily local and regional rather than national or international: it combines department-store, value-oriented retail, sporting-goods, food-service, and storage uses for Beaver County and nearby communities.
History
Beaver Valley Mall opened in 1970 in Center Township, Pennsylvania, as a regional enclosed shopping mall serving Beaver County and the western Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Its original anchor lineup consisted of The Joseph Horne Company, Gimbels, and Sears, reflecting the department-store-centered model that dominated large American shopping centers at the time. The first major anchor transition followed the collapse of Gimbels' Pittsburgh operation. In 1986, Gimbels owner BATUS announced that the chain was being considered for closure after years of declining sales. Because no purchaser could be found for the entire chain, BATUS closed or sold its Pittsburgh-area locations. The Beaver Valley store was among the more attractive properties and was taken over by the May Department Stores Company for its Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's division. After a complete renovation, the former Gimbels location reopened as Kaufmann's in 1987. In 2006, Federated Department Stores acquired May Department Stores, and the Beaver Valley location was converted to the Macy's nameplate. The Joseph Horne Company followed a different ownership path. Horne's parent, Associated Dry Goods Corporation, was acquired by May Department Stores in October 1986. May then sold The Joseph Horne Company to local investors. Horne's continued at Beaver Valley Mall until 1995, when Federated Department Stores acquired the chain and placed former Horne's stores under the Lazarus regional nameplate. Federated closed the Beaver Valley location in 1998, after which the building was acquired and reopened as Boscov's. Boscov's became the surviving successor to one of the mall's original department-store sites. The mall expanded its anchor base in the late 1990s. JCPenney became a fourth anchor in 1998, with a newly constructed store positioned in front of the food court after relocating from Northern Lights Shopping Center in nearby Economy. Dick's Sporting Goods became a fifth anchor in 2007 through construction of a store between JCPenney and Boscov's. The mall entered a more difficult period as department stores across the United States reduced their physical footprints and consumers increasingly shifted spending toward digital retailers and newer shopping destinations. Sears announced in 2016 that its Beaver Valley store would close. In 2017, Rural King announced that it would renovate and occupy the former Sears building; the replacement store opened on March 25, 2018, giving the mall a more value- and farm-oriented anchor. Macy's announced on January 3, 2017, that it would close the Beaver Valley store as part of a nationwide plan involving 68 underperforming locations. The store closed on March 26, 2017. In 2018, the former Macy's building was targeted for a redevelopment known as The Shops at Beaver Valley Mall. The proposed project was intended to add retail and restaurant space and potentially accommodate office, medical, or other services by 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic postponed the proposal, and the building was ultimately converted into a U-Haul self-storage center, with Firehouse Subs also opening in the redevelopment area. Later changes further reduced the mall's traditional entertainment and anchor presence. Aces Breakaway and Play, identified as the mall's only arcade, closed on April 3, 2025, after more than three decades of operation. JCPenney was reported to be closing on September 17, 2025. Dick's Sporting Goods was subsequently reported to be closing on April 25, 2026. If those closures proceed as reported, Boscov's and Rural King would remain the mall's last traditional anchor tenants. The mall is owned by Namdar Realty Group. Public descriptions of Beaver Valley Mall frequently emphasize its decline relative to larger or newer Pittsburgh-area destinations, including Ross Park Mall and The Mall at Robinson. Even so, it remains an active local retail property whose current uses extend beyond conventional enclosed-mall shopping to include department-store retail, value-oriented farm and home merchandise, quick-service dining, and self-storage.
- 2025
Mall arcade closed
[1]Aces Breakaway and Play closed on April 3 after more than 30 years at the mall.
- 2018
Rural King opened
[1]Rural King opened on March 25 in the renovated former Sears building.
- 2017
Macy's closed
[1]Macy's closed its Beaver Valley Mall store on March 26 as part of a national closure program.
- 2007
Dick's Sporting Goods became an anchor
[1]A new Dick's Sporting Goods store opened between JCPenney and Boscov's, becoming the mall's fifth anchor.
- 2006
Kaufmann's transitioned to Macy's
[1]Following Federated Department Stores' acquisition of May Department Stores, the Kaufmann's anchor adopted the Macy's name.
- 2003
Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak
[1]A hepatitis A outbreak associated with the mall's Chi-Chi's restaurant sickened 660 people and caused four deaths.
- 1998
JCPenney opened and former Horne's site became Boscov's
[1]JCPenney added a fourth anchor, while the former Horne's/Lazarus location reopened as Boscov's after Federated closed it.
- 1995
Joseph Horne Company era ended
[1]The Joseph Horne Company ceased operating at the mall after its parent company had sold the chain to local investors and Federated later acquired it.
- 1987
Former Gimbels reopened as Kaufmann's
[1]The former Gimbels anchor was renovated and reopened under May Department Stores' Kaufmann's division.
- 1986
Gimbels' Pittsburgh division closed
[1]BATUS closed Gimbels' Pittsburgh-area operations after declining sales and an unsuccessful effort to sell the full chain.
Products and positioning
A locally oriented regional shopping center serving Beaver County and the western Pittsburgh area, with a tenant mix increasingly centered on value retail, department-store merchandise, practical goods, food service, and nontraditional mall uses.
Department store · 1998
Boscov's
Boscov's occupies the former Joseph Horne Company and later Lazarus anchor location. It represents the mall's continuing department-store presence and offers broad general merchandise, including apparel, home goods, cosmetics, and related retail categories.
Farm, home, and value retail · 2018
Rural King
Rural King operates from the renovated former Sears building. Its merchandise mix is oriented toward farm supplies, outdoor goods, tools, hardware, home products, and value-focused general merchandise, giving the mall a practical retail anchor distinct from a traditional department store.
Storage and moving services
U-Haul self-storage center
A former department-store space was converted into a U-Haul self-storage center after the proposed Shops at Beaver Valley Mall redevelopment was delayed. The use illustrates the property's shift toward service and nontraditional mall operations.
Quick-service restaurant
Firehouse Subs
Firehouse Subs opened in connection with the post-pandemic reuse of the former Macy's redevelopment area, adding a fast-casual food-service use to the mall property.
Controversies
2003
Chi-Chi's hepatitis A outbreak
A Chi-Chi's restaurant at Beaver Valley Mall was linked to a major hepatitis A outbreak during October and November 2003. Investigators attributed the outbreak to contaminated scallions imported from Mexico. In total, 660 people contracted the virus and four died. The incident affected food-court operations and was followed by the collapse of the Chi-Chi's restaurant chain.
Brand decisions
2018
Rural King replaced Sears as an anchorProduct launchBackground
Sears had announced the closure of its Beaver Valley Mall store during the retailer's broader contraction.
Action taken
Rural King renovated the former Sears building and opened a new store on March 25, 2018.
Aftermath
The replacement shifted one of the mall's anchor roles from traditional department-store retail toward farm, home, hardware, and value-oriented merchandise.
2017
Redevelopment of the former Macy's building proposedStrategyBackground
After Macy's announced the closure of its Beaver Valley Mall store, the property sought a new use for the large former anchor space.
Action taken
A project called The Shops at Beaver Valley Mall was announced, with plans for additional retail, restaurants, and possible office, medical, or other service space.
Aftermath
The project was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The building was instead adapted for U-Haul self-storage, with Firehouse Subs opening in the broader redevelopment area.
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