North Hills Village Shopping Center

North Hills Village Shopping Center, generally referred to as North Hills Village, is a retail complex on McKnight Road in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It began operations in 1957 as an open-air strip mall, with Gimbels serving as its principal anchor. The center was part of the commercial growth of Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs and developed around a large department-store format supported by smaller retailers and service businesses. The property underwent a major format change in 1976, when it was enclosed. Its enclosed-mall configuration was later challenged by changes in regional retailing and by the development of Ross Park Mall. In 1984, Gimbels announced that it intended to relocate to Ross Park Mall when its North Hills Village lease expired in 1986. Gimbels had occupied the center for 27 years and was its largest store, so the planned departure created uncertainty for the remaining merchants. Retailers nevertheless expected the property to continue operating, although its tenant mix was likely to shift toward discount and value-oriented merchandise. North Hills Village was owned by J.J. Gumberg Co. from 1986 onward. By July 1987, plans had been confirmed to reposition the center as a value-oriented retail destination. Four major tenants were identified as anchors or principal stores in the revised format: Burlington Coat Factory, Hills Department Stores, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls. This repositioning reflected the broader transition from traditional department-store anchoring toward off-price, discount, and warehouse-style retail. A further physical transformation began in 1996. The southern portion of the property was renovated to return it to an open-air strip-center layout, with large specialty stores providing entrances directly from the parking lot. The northern portion remained enclosed, producing a hybrid configuration rather than a complete return to the original format. At that stage, the complex was planned to contain approximately 490,000 square feet of retail space. Additional work in 2005 continued the move toward a strip-mall arrangement. The former center court was incorporated into a larger Burlington Coat Factory store. Subsequent descriptions of the property placed its gross leasable area at approximately 616,460 square feet. The listed anchor or major tenants included Burlington Coat Factory, Kohl’s, Shop ’n Save, Best Buy, and Staples, alongside smaller retailers, restaurants, and service businesses such as Taco Bell, Applebee’s, Duro Cleaners, and Millennium Oriental Buffet. In 2006, a new 125,000-square-foot Target store was built on the site previously occupied by Burlington Coat Factory. The center therefore evolved from a conventional department-store-anchored strip mall into an adaptable suburban retail property combining discount apparel, grocery, electronics, office supplies, general merchandise, food service, and personal services. Its history is notable less for a single proprietary product line than for repeated changes in ownership-era strategy, physical format, anchor tenants, and positioning in response to competition from newer regional shopping centers.

North Hills Village was established in 1957 on McKnight Road in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, as an open-air strip mall. Gimbels, a major department-store chain, was the property’s centerpiece and remained its largest store for 27 years. The center served the expanding northern Pittsburgh suburban market through a combination of department-store retail and smaller shops. In 1976, the property was enclosed, reflecting the period’s preference for climate-controlled shopping malls. Its competitive environment changed in the 1980s as Ross Park Mall was developed nearby. In 1984, Gimbels said it would relocate to Ross Park Mall when its North Hills Village lease expired in 1986. The announcement raised concerns among merchants because the department store was the center’s dominant anchor. Retailers believed the complex could survive, but anticipated that it might become more heavily oriented toward discount retail. J.J. Gumberg Co. owned the property from 1986 onward. By July 1987, North Hills Village was being repositioned as a value-oriented center. The planned anchor lineup included Burlington Coat Factory, Hills Department Stores, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls. This marked a significant change from the earlier department-store-led model and aligned the property with the growth of off-price and discount shopping. In 1996, the southern portion began a renovation intended to restore an open-air strip-center arrangement. Large specialty stores were designed with entrances opening directly to the parking lot, while the north end remained enclosed. The resulting hybrid layout was planned to provide approximately 490,000 square feet of retail space. Further changes in 2005 continued this strategy, including the conversion of the center court into additional Burlington Coat Factory space. Later descriptions gave the property approximately 616,460 square feet of gross leasable area. Its major tenants were identified as Burlington Coat Factory, Kohl’s, Shop ’n Save, Best Buy, and Staples, with additional restaurants, service providers, and smaller retailers. In 2006, a new 125,000-square-foot Target store was constructed on the former Burlington site. Across its history, North Hills Village repeatedly adapted its physical design and tenant mix in response to anchor departures, nearby competition, and changing consumer preferences. The property’s development therefore illustrates the transition from a traditional enclosed department-store mall to a flexible suburban retail center combining open-air and enclosed components.

• 2006

  Target construction

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  A 125,000-square-foot Target store was built on the former Burlington Coat Factory site.

• 2005

  Further open-air conversion

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  The center court was incorporated into an expanded Burlington Coat Factory store as renovation continued.

• 1996

  Southern section renovation

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  The southern end began returning to a parking-lot-accessible strip-center format while the northern end stayed enclosed.

• 1987

  Value-oriented repositioning

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  The center’s revised direction was confirmed around discount and value-oriented anchor tenants.

• 1986

  J.J. Gumberg Co. ownership begins

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  J.J. Gumberg Co. became the property’s owner, according to the cited reference.

• 1984

  Gimbels announces departure

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  Gimbels announced plans to move to Ross Park Mall after its North Hills Village lease expired in 1986.

• 1976

  Conversion to an enclosed mall

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  The original strip-mall layout was enclosed.

• 1957

  Opening as an open-air strip mall

  [1]North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org

  North Hills Village opened on McKnight Road with Gimbels as its principal anchor tenant.

A suburban, value-oriented retail center serving Ross Township and the northern Pittsburgh area through a mix of large anchor stores, discount retailers, grocery, specialty shops, restaurants, and services.

• Off-price apparel · 1987

  Value-oriented apparel retail

  The center’s value-oriented identity was shaped by discount and off-price apparel anchors and tenants, including Burlington Coat Factory, Hills Department Stores, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls at different points in its history. These stores provided clothing and related merchandise at prices positioned below conventional department-store retail.

• Mass retail · 2006

  General merchandise retail

  Large-format general-merchandise tenants became part of the center’s later operating model. The 2006 construction of a Target store added a broad assortment spanning household goods, apparel, everyday essentials, and other general merchandise to the property’s tenant mix.

• Supermarket

  Grocery retail

  Shop ’n Save was identified among the center’s major tenants in later descriptions, giving North Hills Village a grocery component alongside apparel, electronics, office supplies, and general merchandise.

• Shopping-center tenants

  Specialty retail and services

  Beyond its anchors, North Hills Village accommodated smaller specialty stores, restaurants, and service businesses. Cited examples include Best Buy, Staples, Taco Bell, Applebee’s, Duro Cleaners, and Millennium Oriental Buffet, illustrating the center’s mixed retail, dining, and service offer.

• 2006

  Construction of a Target storeProduct launch

  Background

  A major anchor opportunity became available at the site formerly occupied by Burlington Coat Factory.

  Action taken

  A new 125,000-square-foot Target store was built on the vacated site.

  Aftermath

  Target added a large general-merchandise anchor to the center’s existing mix of discount, grocery, electronics, office-supply, restaurant, and service tenants.

  Source

• 2005

  Expansion of the Burlington footprintGeneration change

  Background

  The center continued to modify its internal configuration to support larger-format value retail.

  Action taken

  The center court was incorporated into a larger Burlington Coat Factory store as further strip-center work proceeded.

  Aftermath

  The shopping center’s later reported gross leasable area was approximately 616,460 square feet, with a more open-air-oriented layout.

  Source

• 1996

  Partial return to an open-air layoutStrategy

  Background

  The enclosed-mall format was being adapted to changing suburban retail conditions and the needs of large specialty stores.

  Action taken

  The southern end was renovated with direct parking-lot entrances, while the northern section remained enclosed.

  Aftermath

  The property became a hybrid shopping center combining open-air and enclosed retail areas, with planned retail space of about 490,000 square feet.

  Source

• 1987

  Repositioning as a value-oriented centerStrategy

  Background

  Gimbels’ planned departure for Ross Park Mall threatened to remove the property’s principal traditional department-store anchor.

  Action taken

  The center adopted a value-oriented tenant strategy centered on Burlington Coat Factory, Hills Department Stores, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls.

  Aftermath

  North Hills Village continued operating with a discount-focused identity rather than relying on a single conventional department-store anchor.

  Source

1. 1North Hills Villageen.wikipedia.org