Piqua Center
Piqua Center is an enclosed shopping and mixed-use redevelopment center in Piqua, Ohio, formerly known as Miami Valley Centre Mall.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Piqua Center is an enclosed shopping and mixed-use commercial center in Piqua, Ohio, United States. The property opened in 1988 as Miami Valley Centre Mall and was developed as a regional shopping destination serving Piqua and nearby communities in the Miami Valley. Its original department-store lineup included JCPenney, Elder-Beerman, and Hills, with Hills later becoming Ames. JCPenney had moved into the mall from a downtown Piqua location that had operated since 1922, linking the new enclosed mall to the city’s earlier retail history. The center’s tenant mix changed substantially over time. Sears moved into the property in 1999 from the nearby Piqua East Mall, despite an attempted legal challenge by Elder-Beerman intended to prevent the relocation. The Sears store opened in October of that year. Other additions included Little Professor bookstore, which filled a category previously absent from the mall, as well as Quiznos and CJ Banks. Ames closed in 2000, and its former space later became a Steve & Barry’s store in 2004. Steve & Barry’s closed at the end of 2008, and the space was subsequently selected for Dunham’s Sports, which became an important surviving anchor. The property also evolved beyond conventional department-store retail. In 2008, the mall’s existing theater complex was replaced by a 504,691-square-foot Cinemark complex on an outparcel. That entertainment development expanded the center’s regional role, although the mall later lost all of its traditional department-store anchors except Dunham’s Sports. Elder-Beerman closed in August 2018 following the bankruptcy of its parent company, The Bon-Ton. Sears closed in February 2019 after announcing a nationwide round of store closures, and JCPenney closed in 2020 as part of the chain’s restructuring and store-reduction program. In March 2023, Kohan Retail Investment Group sold the property to a partnership involving Ohio-based Bruns Construction Enterprises and Minnesota-based Caspian Group. The new owners renamed it Piqua Center and began repositioning the site as a mixed-use commercial destination rather than relying primarily on department-store retail. Plans reported in early 2024 called for business-incubator and industrial-oriented space, including warehousing and e-commerce uses, alongside retail boutiques, entertainment, dining, and community-oriented activities. The redevelopment concept allocated approximately 245,000 square feet to business-incubator uses, 192,000 square feet to retail and boutique space, and 86,000 square feet to entertainment and dining. RCS Construction and Glassco were reported to have signed leases in the planned warehousing area. The owners also reworked the former inline theater space by leveling its sloped floor with gravel. The space was used for Hero Day Action Park, an indoor inflatable arcade and playground concept with a mezzanine and snack bar. Other reported or planned occupants and attractions included Smile Back Training Center, American Freight, a proposed Do It Best hardware store, and Las Marias Mexican restaurant. The food court was slated for renovation around a glass-walled central bar, with additional activity-based concepts such as a redemption arcade, axe throwing, or pickleball under consideration. Longer-term ideas included an outdoor marketplace and apartments on portions of underused parking areas. In July 2025, the center announced plans for The Social, a food hall with six dining options and a bar, targeted for a fall 2025 opening. An arcade and event space were also identified as future development possibilities. As a result, Piqua Center’s current positioning is that of a locally and regionally oriented adaptive-reuse property combining shopping, dining, entertainment, sports and recreation, hospitality, and flexible business space.
History
Piqua Center opened in 1988 in Piqua, Ohio, under the name Miami Valley Centre Mall. It was established as an enclosed regional shopping mall, with JCPenney, Elder-Beerman, and Hills among its original anchor tenants. Hills later became Ames. JCPenney’s move into the mall represented a transition from downtown retail, where the chain had operated in Piqua since 1922, to the newer suburban-style shopping format. The property added Sears in 1999 after the retailer relocated from the nearby Piqua East Mall. Elder-Beerman sought to prevent the move through a lawsuit, but Sears opened in October. The tenant mix subsequently broadened with the arrival of Little Professor bookstore and other retailers. Ames closed in 2000, and its space became a Steve & Barry’s location in 2004. Quiznos and CJ Banks were also among the stores added that year. Entertainment became a more significant component of the property in 2008, when the former theater complex was replaced by a 504,691-square-foot Cinemark complex on an outparcel. Steve & Barry’s closed at the end of 2008. In 2014, Dunham’s Sports was reported as planning to occupy the former Steve & Barry’s space, and it ultimately became the mall’s remaining traditional anchor after the subsequent department-store closures. Elder-Beerman closed on August 26, 2018, following the bankruptcy of The Bon-Ton, its parent company. Sears closed in February 2019 after being included in a closure plan announced in November 2018. JCPenney announced in June 2020 that its Piqua store would close by October as part of a nationwide program involving 154 store closures. After JCPenney departed, Dunham’s Sports was the only remaining anchor store identified in the property’s history. A major ownership and identity change occurred in March 2023, when Kohan Retail Investment Group sold Miami Valley Centre Mall to a partnership formed by Bruns Construction Enterprises and Caspian Group. The property was renamed Piqua Center. Under the new ownership, the planned strategy shifted from dependence on department stores toward adaptive reuse and a diversified mix of retail, business, entertainment, food, recreation, and hospitality uses. Redevelopment plans reported in early 2024 proposed approximately 245,000 square feet for business-incubator functions, including warehousing and e-commerce, 192,000 square feet for retail and boutiques, and 86,000 square feet for entertainment and dining. RCS Construction and Glassco were reported to have signed leases in the warehousing area. The owners also filled and leveled the sloping floor of the former inline theater area with approximately 100,000 tons of gravel. That space became associated with Hero Day Action Park, an indoor inflatable arcade and playground venue with a mezzanine and snack bar. Additional uses reported at or planned for the center included Smile Back Training Center, American Freight, a proposed Do It Best hardware store, and Las Marias Mexican restaurant. The food court was scheduled for renovation, including a glass-walled bar at its center. Plans under consideration included a redemption arcade, axe throwing, pickleball, and other activity-focused businesses. Longer-term concepts included an outdoor marketplace and apartments on unused portions of the parking areas. In July 2025, Piqua Center announced The Social, a food hall with six dining options and a bar, targeted for opening in fall 2025. A future arcade and event space were also planned. These changes indicate an ongoing attempt to reposition the property as a flexible community and regional destination rather than a conventional department-store mall.
- 2025
The Social food hall announced
[1]A six-vendor food hall and bar is announced for planned opening in fall 2025.
- 2024
Mixed-use redevelopment program advances
[1]Plans emphasize business incubation, warehousing, e-commerce, boutique retail, entertainment, dining, and recreation.
- 2023
Property renamed Piqua Center
[1]New ownership by Bruns Construction Enterprises and Caspian Group follows the sale by Kohan Retail Investment Group.
- 2020
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney’s Piqua location closes as part of a nationwide store-reduction plan.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes in February as part of the retailer’s broader store-closure program.
- 2018
Elder-Beerman closes
[1]The Elder-Beerman store closes on August 26 after The Bon-Ton files for bankruptcy.
- 2014
Dunham's Sports announced for vacant space
[1]Dunham's Sports is reported as moving into the former Steve & Barry's space.
- 2008
Cinemark complex replaces former theater complex
[1]A 504,691-square-foot Cinemark complex opens on an outparcel, while Steve & Barry's closes at the end of the year.
- 2004
Steve & Barry's occupies former Ames space
[1]The former Ames location is reused by Steve & Barry's; Quiznos and CJ Banks are also reported among the new tenants.
- 2000
Ames closes
[1]The Ames anchor store closes, leaving its space available for later reuse.
Products and positioning
A community-serving enclosed shopping center being repositioned as a mixed-use destination that combines retail with dining, entertainment, recreation, hospitality, and flexible business space.
Sporting goods anchor · 2014
Dunham's Sports
Dunham’s Sports occupies the former Steve & Barry’s space and became the only remaining traditional anchor identified after Elder-Beerman, Sears, and JCPenney closed. Its sporting-goods assortment provides a conventional retail anchor within the property’s newer mixed-use strategy.
Indoor entertainment and recreation · 2024
Hero Day Action Park
Hero Day Action Park uses the reworked former inline theater area as an indoor inflatable arcade and playground venue. The reported configuration includes a mezzanine and snack bar, adding activity-based entertainment to the center’s tenant mix.
Food hall · 2025
The Social
The Social is a planned food hall announced in July 2025. The concept is designed to contain six dining options and a bar, with the broader redevelopment also contemplating an arcade and event space.
Cinema and entertainment · 2008
Cinemark complex
The Cinemark complex opened on an outparcel in 2008, replacing the property’s earlier theater complex. At approximately 504,691 square feet according to the cited reference, it expanded the center’s entertainment role beyond enclosed-mall retail.
Furniture and mattresses
American Freight
American Freight operates a furniture and mattress store at the center. The redevelopment plans identify the store as a retained occupant while the surrounding property is diversified into additional retail, business, food, and entertainment uses.
Brand decisions
2025
Develop The Social food hallProduct launchBackground
The redevelopment program sought to increase food, social, and activity-based uses within the center.
Action taken
Piqua Center announced The Social, a planned food hall with six dining options and a bar, targeted for fall 2025.
Aftermath
An arcade and event space were also identified as future development opportunities.
2024
Adopt a mixed-use redevelopment strategyStrategyBackground
The loss of traditional department-store anchors created a need to diversify the center beyond conventional enclosed-mall retail.
Action taken
The owners proposed business-incubator and warehousing space, e-commerce uses, boutiques, dining, entertainment, recreation, and possible later residential and outdoor-market uses.
Aftermath
RCS Construction and Glassco were reported as leasing space in the warehousing area, while Hero Day Action Park and other activity-based concepts expanded the property’s tenant mix.
2023
Sell and rename the propertyM&ABackground
Kohan Retail Investment Group sold Miami Valley Centre Mall to a partnership involving Bruns Construction Enterprises and Caspian Group.
Action taken
The new owners acquired the center and renamed it Piqua Center.
Aftermath
The property began transitioning toward a mixed-use model with business-incubator, warehousing, retail, dining, entertainment, and recreation uses.
1999
Proceed with Sears relocationOtherBackground
Sears sought to relocate from the nearby Piqua East Mall to Miami Valley Centre Mall. Elder-Beerman attempted to block the move through litigation.
Action taken
The Sears store opened at the mall in October 1999.
Aftermath
Sears became one of the property’s department-store anchors until its closure in 2019.
Recent events
- 2025
Piqua Center announces The Social food hall[1]
Product launch
The center announced that The Social, a food hall with six dining options and a bar, was planned to open in fall 2025. An arcade and event space were also identified for future development.
- 2024
Mixed-use redevelopment plans reported for Piqua Center[1]
Other
Redevelopment plans described a combination of business-incubator and warehousing space, retail and boutiques, entertainment, dining, recreation, and possible future residential or outdoor-market uses.
- 2023
Miami Valley Centre Mall sold and renamed Piqua Center[1]
M&A · Leadership change
Kohan Retail Investment Group sold the property to a partnership between Bruns Construction Enterprises and Caspian Group. The new owners renamed the mall Piqua Center.
- 2020
JCPenney announces closure at the mall[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
JCPenney announced that its Piqua location would close by October as part of a nationwide plan to shutter 154 stores.
- 2019
Sears closes its mall location[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The Sears store closed in February 2019 after being included in a nationwide closure plan announced in late 2018.
- 2018
Elder-Beerman closes following parent-company bankruptcy[1]
Bankruptcy
Elder-Beerman closed its mall store on August 26 after the bankruptcy of parent company The Bon-Ton.
- 2014
Former theater space selected for Dunham's Sports[1]
Other
Dunham's Sports was reported as the prospective tenant for the vacant Steve & Barry's space, with a move expected by the end of the year.
- 1999
Sears opens at Miami Valley Centre Mall after relocating from Piqua East Mall[1]
Lawsuit · Other
Sears opened a new mall location in October 1999 after moving from the nearby Piqua East Mall. Elder-Beerman attempted to stop the opening through litigation.
Sources2 sources
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