Berkshire Mall
Berkshire Mall was a shopping mall in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, whose enclosed retail concourse closed in 2019 after a long decline in anchor-store occupancy.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Berkshire Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, near Pittsfield and accessible from Massachusetts Route 8 and U.S. Route 7. It opened on September 21, 1988, as a regional retail destination serving Berkshire County and surrounding communities. Its original anchor lineup included Hills, JCPenney, Sears, Service Merchandise, and the locally based Steiger's chain. Over time, the mall experienced the same structural pressures that affected many traditional American shopping centers: the replacement or closure of department-store anchors, changes in consumer shopping habits, and the weakening of smaller specialty retailers. The property changed substantially during the 1990s and 2000s. Steiger's locations were sold to Filene's in 1994, and Service Merchandise closed in 1999. The former Service Merchandise building was demolished and replaced by Best Buy and Linens 'n Things in 2002. Hills, which had subsequently operated as Ames, closed in 2001; a Target store replaced that anchor space in January 2006. Old Navy was added to the mall in 2000, while the Filene's location later became a Macy's store. These changes temporarily preserved a mixture of department stores, big-box retailers, and entertainment uses, but they did not reverse the longer-term erosion of the enclosed mall's tenant base. In 2016, Strategic Mall Services, operating through Berkshire Mall LLC, sold the property to Kohan Retail Property Group. The following years brought a series of anchor departures. Macy's announced in January 2016 that its store would close, JCPenney announced its closure in March 2017, and Sears announced its closure in November 2017. With the loss of these major tenants, the mall's interior became increasingly inactive. On May 28, 2019, the main concourse closed, effectively ending Berkshire Mall's operation as a conventional enclosed shopping center. Target and Regal Cinemas continued operating as separate or remaining attractions after the concourse closure. Regal Cinemas was later reported closed in February 2022, leaving Target as the property's remaining tenant as of the available reference material in 2025. The site subsequently became the subject of redevelopment discussions rather than a conventional mall recovery plan. In 2023, the owners reportedly considered a proposal to convert the former retail space into an indoor cannabis cultivation facility. Those plans were abandoned in October 2023 amid a slowing cannabis market, and the preferred direction shifted toward a 400-to-600-unit apartment complex intended for older residents. Thus, Berkshire Mall's history reflects a transition from a conventional regional mall to a largely redeveloped or redevelopment-oriented property, with Target remaining as the principal active retail operation.
History
Berkshire Mall opened on September 21, 1988, in Lanesborough, Massachusetts, outside Pittsfield. Positioned near Route 8 and U.S. Route 7, it was developed as a regional enclosed shopping center for Berkshire County and neighboring communities. Its initial anchor tenants were Hills, JCPenney, Sears, Service Merchandise, and Steiger's, a department-store chain associated with the region. The mall's tenant composition changed repeatedly. Steiger's sold its locations to Filene's in 1994, and the resulting store later became a Macy's location. Service Merchandise closed in 1999. Old Navy was added in 2000, broadening the mall's apparel offering. Ames, the successor to Hills, closed in 2001. The former Service Merchandise structure was demolished and replaced in 2002 by Best Buy and Linens 'n Things, reflecting the growing importance of large-format specialty retailers alongside traditional department stores. Target replaced the former Ames anchor in January 2006. Despite these adjustments, Berkshire Mall eventually lost most of its principal anchors. Macy's announced its closure in January 2016. Later that year, Strategic Mall Services, through Berkshire Mall LLC, sold the property to Kohan Retail Property Group. JCPenney announced its departure in March 2017, followed by Sears in November of the same year. The sequence left the property without the department-store concentration that had originally defined its regional-mall model. On May 28, 2019, the interior mall concourse closed. Target and Regal Cinemas remained open after the closure, functioning as separate surviving components of the property rather than restoring the former enclosed-mall format. Regal Cinemas was reported closed by February 2022, leaving Target as the only remaining tenant identified in the available reference material as of 2025. The property's later history centered on possible reuse. In April 2023, reports described negotiations involving a potential indoor cannabis cultivation facility in the former mall space. By October 2023, those plans had been abandoned, with the slowing cannabis market cited as a reason. The owners instead favored a redevelopment concept involving approximately 400 to 600 apartments intended for older residents. The proposed housing project represented a shift from retail-led operation toward residential redevelopment and underscored the mall's transformation from a conventional shopping center into a largely underused property anchored by a single surviving retailer.
- 2023
Redevelopment direction shifts to senior housing
[1]A proposed indoor cannabis cultivation conversion is abandoned, and a 400-to-600-unit apartment complex for older residents becomes the reported preferred redevelopment concept.
- 2022
Regal Cinemas closes
[1]Regal Cinemas is reported closed, leaving Target as the sole remaining tenant identified in the source account.
- 2019
Enclosed concourse closes
[1]The main mall concourse closes on May 28, with Target and Regal Cinemas continuing at the site.
- 2016
Ownership changes to Kohan Retail Property Group
[1]Strategic Mall Services, through Berkshire Mall LLC, sells the property to Kohan Retail Property Group.
- 2006
Target opens in former Ames space
[1]Target opens at the property in January, replacing the former Ames anchor.
- 2002
Former Service Merchandise site is replaced
[1]The former Service Merchandise building is demolished and replaced by Best Buy and Linens 'n Things.
- 2001
Ames closes
[1]Ames, which had succeeded Hills as an anchor, closes its Berkshire Mall store.
- 2000
Old Navy is added
[1]Old Navy opens at Berkshire Mall as a new apparel tenant.
- 1999
Service Merchandise closes
[1]Service Merchandise ends its operation at the mall.
- 1994
Steiger's locations are sold to Filene's
[1]Steiger's sells its mall locations to Filene's, later associated with the Macy's anchor operation.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Berkshire County and nearby western Massachusetts communities. Historically, it combined department-store anchors, specialty retailers, big-box stores, and cinema entertainment; after the concourse closure, the property became primarily a Target-anchored retail site with redevelopment potential.
Shopping center · 1988
Enclosed shopping concourse
The mall's central enclosed retail environment opened in 1988 and connected a range of department stores, specialty retailers, and service businesses. Its role declined as anchor tenants departed and the broader property shifted toward isolated big-box and entertainment uses. The concourse formally closed on May 28, 2019.
General merchandise · 2006
Target
Target opened in January 2006 in the space formerly occupied by Ames. It became the property's principal surviving retail anchor after the enclosed concourse closed and was identified as the only remaining tenant in the available reference material as of 2025.
Cinema entertainment
Regal Cinemas
Regal Cinemas continued operating at the property after the mall concourse closed in 2019, but it was reported to have closed by February 2022.
Consumer electronics · 2002
Best Buy
Best Buy replaced part of the former Service Merchandise site in 2002, representing the property's move toward large-format specialty retail alongside its traditional mall anchors.
Home furnishings · 2002
Linens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things was added to the rebuilt former Service Merchandise location in 2002 as a home-goods specialty retailer.
Brand decisions
2023
Abandon cannabis conversion and pursue senior housing conceptStrategyBackground
Owners had considered converting former mall retail space into an indoor cannabis cultivation facility, but the cannabis market was reported to be slowing.
Action taken
The cannabis proposal was scrapped in favor of a reported plan for approximately 400 to 600 apartments intended for older residents.
Aftermath
The redevelopment direction shifted from industrial cannabis use toward residential reuse, although the available material does not confirm completion of the apartment project.
2019
Close the enclosed mall concourseStrategyBackground
The property had lost several major department-store anchors, including Macy's, JCPenney, and Sears announcements of closure.
Action taken
The main interior concourse was closed on May 28, while Target and Regal Cinemas continued operating at the site.
Aftermath
Berkshire Mall ceased functioning as a conventional enclosed shopping mall and became a site centered on surviving standalone tenants and possible redevelopment.
Sources1 sources
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