Colonial Park Mall

Colonial Park Mall is a shopping center in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, approximately three miles northeast of Harrisburg. It occupies the northeast corner of U.S. Route 22 and Colonial Road in the Colonial Park census-designated area, east of Interstate 83 and south of Interstate 81. Its location places it within the retail network serving Harrisburg and surrounding suburban communities. The property began in 1960 as Colonial Park Plaza, an open-air shopping center anchored by Sears and Food Fair. In 1970, the center was enclosed and adopted the Colonial Park Mall name. The mall's department-store offering expanded in the 1970s when Pomeroy's opened a store there on July 25, 1974. Pomeroy's was later acquired by The Bon-Ton Company in 1987 and converted to The Bon-Ton banner in 1990. Boscov's was added in 1987 and became the mall's principal surviving department-store anchor. Ownership changed several times as the regional shopping-center industry consolidated. Glimcher Realty Trust purchased the mall from Catalina Partners LP in 1997. Washington Prime Group obtained the property in 2014 through its acquisition of Glimcher Realty Trust. In 2017, Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired Colonial Park Mall from Washington Prime Group for $15 million. The center subsequently lost both of its other major department-store anchors. The Bon-Ton closed in 2018 after the retailer entered bankruptcy-related liquidation. Sears announced the closure of its Colonial Park location in September 2021, and the store shut on November 14, 2021. Boscov's remained open and is the mall's current anchor; it owns its space according to redevelopment reports. The former Bon-Ton and Sears spaces are vacant anchors. The property experienced financial and ownership uncertainty in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Lower Paxton Township pursued a sheriff's sale over more than $250,000 in unpaid sewer and storm-water charges. Stonewall Capital LLC was reported to be under contract to acquire the mall and proposed adding residential uses and reconfiguring retail space, but the transaction did not proceed. Kohan Retail Investment Group avoided the scheduled sheriff's sale by paying the delinquent utility charges shortly before the deadline. The mall was later marketed for auction; after delays, it was reported sold for $8.8 million in September 2024, with Zi Qian Zhang subsequently identified as the purchaser. The property's longer-term redevelopment and tenant strategy remain subject to future decisions by its ownership.

Colonial Park Mall traces its origins to Colonial Park Plaza, an open-air shopping center opened in 1960 in Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania. The original center included Sears and Food Fair as anchor tenants and was designed to capture suburban retail demand from the Harrisburg area. Its location near U.S. Route 22, Colonial Road, Interstate 83, and Interstate 81 provided access to both local shoppers and communities in the wider metropolitan area. The center was enclosed in 1970 and renamed Colonial Park Mall. Enclosure reflected the prevailing development model for American shopping centers at the time, providing an indoor environment and allowing the property to broaden its tenant mix. Pomeroy's joined the mall during the 1970s, opening on July 25, 1974. In 1987, Boscov's was added as another department-store anchor. That same year, The Bon-Ton Company acquired the Pomeroy's chain from Allied Department Stores. The former Pomeroy's store adopted The Bon-Ton name in 1990. The property changed institutional owners in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Glimcher Realty Trust acquired Colonial Park Mall from Catalina Partners LP in 1997. Washington Prime Group became the owner in 2014 as part of its acquisition of Glimcher Realty Trust. In 2017, Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased the mall from Washington Prime Group for $15 million. The mall's anchor profile weakened as traditional department-store retail contracted. The Bon-Ton closed in 2018 following the retailer's bankruptcy and liquidation. Sears, which had been present since the center's 1960 opening, announced its closure in September 2021. The Sears store closed on November 14, 2021. Boscov's remained in operation and became the mall's principal anchor, while the former Bon-Ton and Sears units became vacant anchor spaces. Ownership and redevelopment issues became increasingly prominent in the 2020s. In 2023, Lower Paxton Township sought a sheriff's sale in connection with more than $250,000 in unpaid sewer and storm-water charges attributed to the mall's ownership. Stonewall Capital LLC was reported to have a purchase agreement and proposed a redevelopment that would combine new residential areas with redesigned retail space. The concept called for Boscov's to remain because the department store owns its portion of the property. The proposed sale did not close, however. Kohan paid the delinquent charges shortly before the sheriff's-sale deadline, preventing the scheduled sale. The property was subsequently slated for auction in 2024, although the auction date was delayed. The mall was reported sold for $8.8 million in September 2024, and later information identified Zi Qian Zhang as the buyer. Colonial Park Mall therefore entered its current phase as an active but repositioning-oriented suburban mall: Boscov's provides an established anchor, while the vacant former department-store spaces and potential mixed-use redevelopment remain central to the property's future.

• 2024

  Mall changes ownership after auction process

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Following a delayed auction process, the property is reported sold for $8.8 million, with Zi Qian Zhang later identified as purchaser.

• 2023

  Proposed mixed-use redevelopment and utility dispute

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Stonewall Capital proposes a redevelopment involving residential and retail uses, while the mall faces a threatened sheriff's sale over unpaid sewer and storm-water charges.

• 2021

  Sears closes

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears announces a closure in September and shuts its Colonial Park Mall store on November 14.

• 2018

  The Bon-Ton closes

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Bon-Ton anchor ceases operations, creating a vacant department-store space.

• 2017

  Kohan Retail Investment Group purchases the property

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires Colonial Park Mall from Washington Prime Group for $15 million.

• 2014

  Washington Prime Group assumes ownership

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Washington Prime Group becomes the mall's owner through its acquisition of Glimcher Realty Trust.

• 1997

  Glimcher Realty Trust acquires the mall

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Glimcher Realty Trust purchases Colonial Park Mall from Catalina Partners LP.

• 1990

  Pomeroy's becomes The Bon-Ton

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Pomeroy's store is rebranded under The Bon-Ton name.

• 1987

  Boscov's joins the mall

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Boscov's is added as a department-store anchor. The Bon-Ton Company also acquires the Pomeroy's chain during the year.

• 1974

  Pomeroy's opens

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Pomeroy's opens a department store at the mall on July 25.

• 1970

  Center is enclosed and renamed

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The open-air center is converted into an enclosed mall and takes the Colonial Park Mall name.

• 1960

  Colonial Park Plaza opens

  [1]Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property opens as an open-air shopping center called Colonial Park Plaza, with Sears and Food Fair as anchor stores.

A suburban regional shopping center anchored by Boscov's and positioned to serve communities around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its identity has historically depended on department-store anchors and convenient access from major highways, while its current challenge is the reuse and redevelopment of vacant anchor space.

• Department store anchor · 1987

  Boscov's

  Boscov's has been a Colonial Park Mall anchor since 1987 and is the center's remaining major department-store tenant. Its merchandise scope typically spans apparel, footwear, cosmetics, jewelry, home goods, and general department-store categories. Redevelopment proposals have treated Boscov's as a continuing anchor, in part because the company owns its space.

• Former department store anchor · 1960

  Former Sears

  Sears was one of the original anchors when the property opened as Colonial Park Plaza in 1960. The store represented the traditional broad-line department-store format, combining merchandise, home-related goods, and services. It closed on November 14, 2021, and its anchor space is vacant.

• Former department store anchor · 1990

  Former The Bon-Ton

  The Bon-Ton occupied the former Pomeroy's department-store space after the Pomeroy's chain was acquired and the store was rebranded in 1990. The location remained part of the mall's anchor lineup until The Bon-Ton closed in 2018. The space is now vacant.

• 2024

  Transfer ownership through auction processM&A

  Background

  The mall was placed into an auction process after earlier ownership and municipal-payment difficulties, although the scheduled auction was delayed.

  Action taken

  The property was reported sold for $8.8 million, with Zi Qian Zhang later identified as the purchaser.

  Aftermath

  The ownership change created a new basis for decisions concerning vacant anchor spaces, tenant recruitment, and possible redevelopment.

  Reported sale price. $8.8 million (September 2024)

  Source

• 2023

  Propose mixed-use redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  Stonewall Capital LLC was reported to be under contract to acquire the property during a period of anchor vacancies and financial pressure.

  Action taken

  The proposed plan called for residential areas, redesigned retail space, and retention of Boscov's.

  Aftermath

  The proposed purchase did not close, and the planned redevelopment did not proceed under that transaction.

  Source

• 1987

  Add Boscov's as an anchorProduct launch

  Background

  The mall expanded its department-store offering while Pomeroy's remained part of the anchor lineup.

  Action taken

  Boscov's opened at Colonial Park Mall in 1987.

  Aftermath

  Boscov's became the mall's surviving department-store anchor after the later departures of The Bon-Ton and Sears.

  Source

• 1970

  Enclose the open-air shopping centerStrategy

  Background

  Colonial Park Plaza had operated as an open-air center since 1960. The property was converted into an enclosed mall as indoor regional shopping centers became a dominant suburban retail format.

  Action taken

  The center was enclosed and renamed Colonial Park Mall.

  Aftermath

  The enclosed format enabled the property to develop a larger department-store and specialty-retail tenant mix.

  Source

1. 1Colonial Park Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Colonial Park Mall official websitecolonialparkmall.com