Cressona Mall
Cressona Mall is a shopping center serving the Pottsville area of Pennsylvania.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Cressona Mall is a shopping center located near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, along Route 61 and Route 183. It opened on October 2, 1973, with Hills as its principal anchor. Over the following decades, the property evolved from a conventional enclosed retail center into a mixed-use commercial destination that combined retail stores, pharmacies, fitness facilities, offices, educational space, and medical services. The mall's tenant history reflects the changing structure of American neighborhood and regional retail. A proposed Laneco store was associated with the former Grant's space in the early 1980s, although the retail space later became associated with other operators. The Acme store at the property was rebranded as Insalacos in January 1995, while Laneco closed in March of that year. Hills expanded its location, and Staples joined the tenant mix in 1996. By the time the mall was refinanced in January 1998, its principal occupants included Insalacos, Hills, Staples, and CVS. Cressona Mall gradually broadened beyond traditional shopping. The Surgery Center of Pottsville opened at the site in 2006, and exterior renovations were carried out during 2007 and 2008. Alvernia University established a satellite campus in former office and retail space in 2009. CVS left the mall in October 2010, and Goodwill subsequently opened in the former pharmacy premises in February 2014. Goodwill later expanded its space, completing that work in February 2017. Other additions included Planet Fitness, which opened in November 2016 after more than a year of negotiations, and Cinderella's Closet, which opened in 2018 after relocating from the former Schuylkill Mall. The property also experienced significant financial and ownership changes. In 2015, a dispute involving unpaid obligations connected with renovation work led to foreclosure proceedings by Wells Fargo. Cressona Associates, the then-owner, reportedly owed $8,797,305.81 on a mortgage originally valued at $9.9 million. The mall was sold at a United States Marshals auction on October 15, 2015, for $9,281,842.21, with an entity associated with Wells Fargo subsequently identified as the owner. In November 2019, the property changed hands again for $8.05 million through a group of Cressona-related limited liability companies; Namdar Realty Group was later identified in reporting as the primary owner. America's Realty acquired the mall in November 2021 for $16 million. The mall's later history included both maintenance work and tenant departures. A sprinkler water pipe broke during cold weather in February 2015. The parking area was repaved in late 2022. The Surgery Center of Pottsville closed in June 2022, and Alvernia University left the mall in January 2023 for a new Pottsville location. Despite these changes, Cressona Mall remains an active commercial property whose role is defined by a combination of retail, service, medical, fitness, and community-oriented uses rather than by a single nationally dominant anchor.
History
Cressona Mall opened on October 2, 1973, near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, at the junction of Route 61 and Route 183. Hills served as the original anchor. The property later incorporated additional department-store and discount-retail activity. Laneco planned a store for the former Grant's space in the early 1980s, but the space's subsequent history was shaped by changes in the local retail market. The Acme store was rebranded as Insalacos in January 1995, and Laneco closed in March of that year. Hills expanded its premises, while Staples opened at the mall in 1996. Cressona Associates L.P. refinanced the property in January 1998. At that time, the principal anchors and major occupants were Insalacos, Hills, Staples, and CVS. During the 2000s, the mall increasingly accommodated nontraditional commercial uses. The Surgery Center of Pottsville opened in 2006. Exterior renovation work followed in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Alvernia University created a satellite campus using space formerly occupied by offices and retail tenants. CVS Pharmacy departed in October 2010. Goodwill took over the former CVS space and opened there in February 2014, later completing an expansion in February 2017. The property also experienced a significant infrastructure incident in February 2015, when a primary sprinkler water pipe broke during cold weather. Financial pressure and a legal judgment associated with unpaid renovation obligations led to Wells Fargo's foreclosure of the mall in 2015. Cressona Associates reportedly owed $8,797,305.81 on an original $9.9 million mortgage. The mall was sold at a United States Marshals auction on October 15, 2015, for $9,281,842.21. The mall manager and Dack Realty, which had managed the property, left before the auction. An ownership entity associated with Wells Fargo was subsequently listed for the property. The tenant mix continued to change after the foreclosure. Planet Fitness opened in November 2016 following more than a year of negotiations. Goodwill expanded soon afterward. Cinderella's Closet opened in 2018 after relocating from the former Schuylkill Mall. In November 2019, the property was sold for $8.05 million to Cressona Realty LLC, Cressona CH LLC, and Cressona Nassim LLC, holding 55%, 40%, and 5% interests respectively. Namdar Realty Group was later identified in articles as the primary owner. America's Realty purchased Cressona Mall in November 2021 for a reported $16 million. The Surgery Center of Pottsville closed in June 2022. Parking-lot repaving took place in late 2022, while Alvernia University left the mall in January 2023 for a new Pottsville site. Cressona Mall remains an active shopping and services property, with its identity based on a broad local tenant mix rather than a single specialized product or nationally dominant department-store brand.
- 2023
Alvernia University departs
[1]Alvernia University left the mall in January and moved to another Pottsville location.
- 2022
Medical tenant closes and parking is repaved
[1]The Surgery Center of Pottsville closed in June, and the mall parking area was repaved later in the year.
- 2021
America's Realty acquisition
[1]America's Realty acquired the mall in November.
- 2019
Ownership transfer
[1]Cressona-related limited liability companies acquired the property in November.
- 2018
Cinderella's Closet opens
[1]Cinderella's Closet opened after relocating from the former Schuylkill Mall.
- 2017
Goodwill expansion completed
[1]Goodwill completed an expansion of its location in February.
- 2016
Planet Fitness opens
[1]Planet Fitness opened at the mall in November.
- 2015
Foreclosure and marshal's auction
[1]Wells Fargo foreclosed on the property, which was sold at auction on October 15.
- 2014
Goodwill opens
[1]Goodwill opened in the former CVS Pharmacy space in February.
- 2010
CVS departs
[1]CVS Pharmacy moved out of the mall in October.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented shopping center and mixed-use commercial property serving Pottsville and surrounding communities in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
Shopping center · 1973
Retail and specialty-store space
Cressona Mall provides storefronts for a changing mix of retail tenants. Its documented occupants have included department-store, grocery or discount-retail, office-supply, pharmacy, apparel, and specialty operators. The mall's retail offer has changed repeatedly as tenants opened, rebranded, expanded, or left.
Secondhand retail and donation services · 2014
Goodwill
Goodwill opened in the former CVS Pharmacy space in February 2014 and expanded its Cressona Mall operation in 2017. Its presence represents the property's shift toward value-oriented retail and community-service uses.
Fitness services · 2016
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness opened at Cressona Mall in November 2016 after negotiations that lasted more than a year. The club added a recurring-service and fitness component to the mall's conventional retail tenant base.
Mixed-use commercial space · 2006
Medical and educational space
The mall has hosted non-retail users, including the Surgery Center of Pottsville and an Alvernia University satellite campus. These uses occupied former office or retail areas and contributed to the property's mixed-use positioning, although both documented occupants later departed or closed.
Brand decisions
2021
Sale to America's RealtyM&ABackground
Cressona Mall underwent another ownership change after the 2019 transaction.
Action taken
America's Realty purchased the mall in November 2021.
Aftermath
America's Realty became the reported owner of the property.
Reported acquisition price. $16 million (November 2021)
2019
Sale to Cressona-related ownership entitiesM&ABackground
The mall changed ownership after its 2015 foreclosure and subsequent operation under an entity associated with Wells Fargo.
Action taken
Cressona Realty LLC, Cressona CH LLC, and Cressona Nassim LLC acquired the property in November 2019.
Aftermath
The three entities were identified with ownership interests of 55%, 40%, and 5%, respectively; later reporting named Namdar Realty Group as the primary owner.
Reported acquisition price. $8,050,000 (November 2019)
2015
Foreclosure and auction following renovation-related judgmentOtherBackground
Cressona Associates faced an unpaid court judgment connected with renovation work, while the property carried a mortgage balance reportedly exceeding $8.7 million.
Action taken
Wells Fargo foreclosed on the mall, and the property was sold at a United States Marshals auction on October 15, 2015.
Aftermath
The mall changed control and was subsequently associated with an entity listed under Wells Fargo before later ownership transfers.
Reported mortgage balance and auction price. $8,797,305.81 owed on an original $9.9 million mortgage → $9,281,842.21 auction sale price (2015)
Sources1 sources
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