Lycoming Mall
Former enclosed shopping mall in Pennsdale, Pennsylvania, redeveloped as The District at Lycoming Valley.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Lycoming Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Pennsdale, Pennsylvania, serving the Williamsport area and the wider Lycoming Valley. Announced in 1975, the mall was developed with approximately 674,000 square feet of space and opened in 1978 with Gee Bee, Hess's, and Sears identified as its principal anchors. Hess's began operations on March 1, 1978, the main mall opened on July 15, and Sears followed several weeks later. The project consolidated a substantial share of regional department-store and specialty retail activity outside downtown Williamsport. The property expanded in 1985 through a project adding approximately 115,800 square feet. The expansion brought Bon-Ton to the center and strengthened its position as a regional shopping destination. J. C. Penney later moved from downtown Williamsport to the mall in the late 1980s, further concentrating department-store activity at the site. Over subsequent decades, the tenant mix changed as retail chains entered, relocated, or disappeared. Value City closed in 2008 and Burlington Coat Factory was identified as its replacement. Books-A-Million opened in 2011 in space formerly occupied by Borders. The Gap and RadioShack left in 2015, while Gap Factory opened nearby at Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center. The mall entered a prolonged period of commercial and financial pressure in the 2010s. PREIT placed it on the market in January 2015, and Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the property on March 22, 2016, through Lycoming Mall Realty Holding for $26.35 million. The departure of major anchors accelerated after the acquisition: Macy's closed in March 2017, J. C. Penney closed on July 31, 2017, and Sears was announced for closure in 2018. Bon-Ton subsequently closed as part of that chain's liquidation. Dick's Sporting Goods moved from the mall to the nearby Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center in late 2021. The property also experienced operational and financial problems. In August 2018, the mall temporarily lost electrical service after an unpaid PPL electric bill; service was restored the following day. The property faced sheriff's-sale proceedings in 2019 and again in 2022 over unpaid obligations to the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority. The 2022 proceeding involved nearly $240,000 in unpaid bills and was cancelled after the owners paid almost $300,000 in bills and fees. The mall's owners also challenged a tax assessment reported at $44.89 million. The former Macy's building was sold for more than $500,000 to MC Storage Lycoming LLC for conversion to storage use. A redevelopment proposal by FamVest Partners LLC sought to sell and partially demolish the declining mall and reposition the property as a mixed-use development. In February 2023, remaining interior tenants other than Books-A-Million and Burlington received notices to vacate. The mall's interior closed on February 24, 2023. FamVest Partners acquired the property in June 2023 for $15 million, with Lycoming County providing $5 million in loan assistance toward the purchase. Books-A-Million announced that its location would close in July 2023. In November 2023, the redevelopment was publicly identified as The District at Lycoming Valley. Burlington, the final retail anchor associated with the former mall, closed in early 2025. One of the property's most recognizable features was the Hadany Arch, a 90-foot-high, 55-foot-wide steel sculpture weighing approximately 140 tons. Designed by Israel Hadany in 1977, it was purchased by board members associated with Hess's and Crown American and dedicated in November 1978. The sculpture remained an architectural and cultural marker of the original shopping-center development even as the enclosed mall model declined. The Lycoming Mall identity is now principally historical, while the site is being repositioned under The District at Lycoming Valley name.
History
Plans for Lycoming Mall were announced in 1975 for a large enclosed shopping center in Pennsdale, Pennsylvania. The planned project covered approximately 674,000 square feet and was designed around Gee Bee, Hess's, and Sears. Hess's opened on March 1, 1978. The remainder of the mall opened on July 15, 1978, with Sears opening several weeks later. Its location outside Williamsport made it a regional destination for department stores, specialty retailers, and consumer services serving Lycoming County and nearby communities. The mall expanded in 1985 through a project costing approximately $4.7 million and adding 115,800 square feet. Bon-Ton became part of the expanded tenant lineup. During the late 1980s, J. C. Penney moved from downtown Williamsport to the mall, reinforcing the center's role as the area's main concentration of department-store retail. An effort to create a competing second mall in downtown Williamsport failed, leaving Lycoming Mall as a dominant suburban retail destination for much of the period. The property later experienced the normal tenant turnover associated with changing retail formats, chain consolidation, and competition from nearby shopping centers. Value City closed in March 2008, with Burlington Coat Factory announced as its replacement two months later. Borders' former space was taken by Books-A-Million, which opened in November 2011. The Gap and RadioShack closed in February 2015, while a Gap Factory store opened at Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center nearby. PREIT placed Lycoming Mall up for sale in January 2015. Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the mall on March 22, 2016, through Lycoming Mall Realty Holding. The reported transaction value was $26.35 million. After the acquisition, the property lost several prominent anchors. Macy's closed its store in March 2017, and J. C. Penney closed on July 31 of the same year. Sears was announced for closure in January 2018, and Bon-Ton later closed as a consequence of the chain's liquidation. The former Macy's building, which was owned by the department-store company, was sold for more than $500,000 to MC Storage Lycoming LLC for conversion into storage space. The mall's decline was accompanied by disputes and problems involving property operations and financial obligations. The owners appealed a reported $44.89 million tax assessment. In late August 2018, the mall temporarily lost electrical service because its PPL bill had not been paid; the property reopened the next day. The mall also faced a sheriff's sale in February 2019 because of unpaid bills owed to the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority. That auction did not occur after Kohan made a partial payment. A later proceeding was scheduled for May 2022 over almost $240,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills. The sale was cancelled after the owners paid nearly $300,000 in bills and fees. Dick's Sporting Goods moved to Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center in late 2021, further reducing the mall's active retail base. Redevelopment became the property's principal strategic direction. FamVest Partners LLC proposed selling and partially demolishing the enclosed mall while converting the site to mixed-use purposes. In mid-February 2023, the ownership issued vacate notices to remaining interior tenants other than Books-A-Million and Burlington. The mall's interior closed on February 24, 2023. The property was again listed for sheriff's sale in May 2023 because of unpaid water and sewer bills, but FamVest Partners completed its purchase in June for $15 million. Lycoming County provided $5 million in loan assistance toward the transaction. Books-A-Million announced the closure of its Lycoming Mall location in July 2023. In November 2023, the redevelopment was identified as The District at Lycoming Valley, marking the formal shift away from the Lycoming Mall identity. Burlington remained the last retail anchor associated with the former enclosed mall but closed in early 2025. The property is therefore best understood as a defunct mall brand and a redevelopment site rather than an operating shopping center. The site's most distinctive physical feature was the Hadany Arch, a monumental steel sculpture approximately 90 feet high, 55 feet wide, and 140 tons in weight. Israel Hadany designed the work in 1977. Board members associated with Hess's and Crown American purchased it, and it was dedicated in November 1978. The arch connected the mall to its original architectural and cultural context and became one of the site's notable landmarks.
- 2025
Burlington closes
[1]Burlington closed in early 2025, ending the former mall's remaining anchor-retail presence.
- 2023
Enclosed mall interior closes
[1]The interior of Lycoming Mall closed on February 24 as the property moved toward redevelopment.
- 2023
FamVest acquires the property
[1]FamVest Partners purchased the property in June and received loan assistance from Lycoming County.
- 2023
Redevelopment becomes The District at Lycoming Valley
[1]The redevelopment adopted The District at Lycoming Valley name in November.
- 2021
Dick's Sporting Goods relocates
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods moved from Lycoming Mall to Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center.
- 2018
Sears closure announced
[1]Sears was announced for closure, continuing the mall's loss of traditional department-store anchors.
- 2017
Macy's and J. C. Penney depart
[1]Macy's closed in March and J. C. Penney closed on July 31, removing two major anchors.
- 2016
Kohan acquires the mall
[1]Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the property through Lycoming Mall Realty Holding.
- 2015
PREIT offers property for sale
[1]PREIT placed Lycoming Mall on the market as the center faced tenant turnover and changing regional retail patterns.
- 2011
Books-A-Million opens
[1]Books-A-Million opened in November in space previously occupied by Borders.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving the Williamsport and Lycoming Valley market, later repositioned as a mixed-use redevelopment after the decline and closure of the original mall.
Retail real estate · 1978
Enclosed shopping mall
Lycoming Mall's principal offering was a regional enclosed shopping environment containing department stores, specialty shops, consumer services, and food-related businesses. It was built to serve Williamsport and surrounding Lycoming Valley communities and was anchored at opening by Gee Bee, Hess's, and Sears. Its retail proposition depended on concentrating major stores and smaller tenants under one roof.
Department stores · 1978
Department-store anchor space
The property was structured around large anchor stores, including Hess's, Sears, Bon-Ton, J. C. Penney, Macy's, and later Burlington Coat Factory. These anchors provided apparel, home goods, general merchandise, and discount retail offerings and helped draw customers to the mall's smaller specialty tenants.
Books and media retail · 2011
Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million opened at the mall in November 2011, replacing Borders in the former bookstore space. It remained one of the last named interior tenants during the mall's final period, but announced the closure of its Lycoming Mall location in July 2023 after the enclosed mall interior had shut.
Mixed-use redevelopment · 2023
The District at Lycoming Valley
The District at Lycoming Valley is the redevelopment identity applied to the former Lycoming Mall property. The proposal involves partial demolition and repositioning of the site for mixed-use purposes, reflecting a strategic transition away from the original enclosed-shopping-mall format.
Brand decisions
2023
Transition from enclosed mall to mixed-use redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The enclosed mall had lost most of its major anchors and faced continuing operating and payment problems.
Action taken
FamVest Partners proposed partial demolition and mixed-use redevelopment, acquired the property in June, and adopted The District at Lycoming Valley name in November.
Aftermath
The mall interior closed on February 24, Books-A-Million announced its closure in July, and the site moved into redevelopment under a new identity.
Property acquisition price. $15 million (June 2023)
2016
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquisitionM&ABackground
The property was being repositioned under new ownership amid weakening anchor performance.
Action taken
Kohan acquired the mall through Lycoming Mall Realty Holding on March 22, 2016.
Aftermath
The mall subsequently lost Macy's, J. C. Penney, Sears, Bon-Ton, and Dick's Sporting Goods as major tenants or anchors.
Reported acquisition price. $26.35 million (March 22, 2016)
2015
Place the mall on the marketM&ABackground
Tenant turnover and pressure on traditional enclosed malls led PREIT to offer Lycoming Mall for sale.
Action taken
PREIT placed the property on the market in January 2015.
Aftermath
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the property the following year.
Recent events
- 2025
Burlington closes at the former Lycoming Mall[1]
Other
Burlington, the last retail anchor associated with the former mall, closed in early 2025.
- 2023
Lycoming Mall interior closes[1]
Other
Remaining interior stores received notices to vacate in February, and the enclosed mall interior closed on February 24 as redevelopment plans advanced.
- 2023
FamVest Partners acquires Lycoming Mall for redevelopment[1]
M&A
FamVest Partners LLC purchased the property in June 2023 for $15 million, with $5 million in loan assistance from Lycoming County. The project was later branded The District at Lycoming Valley.
- 2023
The District at Lycoming Valley name introduced[1]
Other
The former mall redevelopment adopted The District at Lycoming Valley name in November 2023, signaling a transition from an enclosed mall to a mixed-use project.
- 2022
Second sheriff's-sale proceeding is scheduled over unpaid bills[1]
Regulation · Other
The property was scheduled for a sheriff's sale over nearly $240,000 in unpaid water and sewer bills. The proceeding was later cancelled after payments totaling almost $300,000 in bills and fees.
- 2021
Dick's Sporting Goods relocates from Lycoming Mall[1]
Other
Dick's Sporting Goods moved from the mall to the nearby Lycoming Crossing Shopping Center, removing another significant retail tenant from the property.
- 2019
Lycoming Mall faces sheriff's-sale proceedings over unpaid water and sewer bills[1]
Regulation · Other
A sheriff's sale was threatened because of unpaid obligations to the Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority, but the auction did not proceed after Kohan made a partial payment.
- 2018
Lycoming Mall loses electrical service over unpaid bill[1]
Other
The property temporarily lost power in late August 2018 after an unpaid PPL electric bill. The mall reopened the next day.
- 2017
Major department-store anchors leave Lycoming Mall[1]
Other
Macy's closed in March 2017 and J. C. Penney closed on July 31, 2017, intensifying the mall's loss of traditional anchor tenants.
- 2016
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires Lycoming Mall[1]
M&A
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the mall through Lycoming Mall Realty Holding for a reported $26.35 million.
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