Shenango Valley Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1968 until 2024.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Shenango Valley Mall was an enclosed shopping mall in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, serving the Shenango Valley and nearby communities in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. It opened on March 13, 1968, and became a long-standing regional retail destination. JCPenney joined the property as an anchor in January 1969 after relocating from downtown Sharon, while Kaufmann's later operated another major department-store space. The center's tenant mix combined national department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, service businesses, and an automobile-service component. The mall underwent its first major renovation in 1997. The project reportedly cost $3.5 million and included an expansion of the Kaufmann's store. Ownership changed several times during the property's later history. Crown American sold the mall to PREIT in 2003, and PREIT transferred it with five other malls to The Lightstone Group in 2004. Kaufmann's was converted to the Macy's brand in August 2006, reflecting broader consolidation in the American department-store sector. The property entered a period of financial and operational difficulty during the late 2000s and 2010s. Shenango Valley Mall and three other malls entered receivership in January 2009, after which Jones Lang LaSalle assumed management. An attempted sale process began that year, but a proposed transaction involving the mall and two other properties did not close in 2010. The departure of Macy's and Sears in March 2017 further weakened the mall's anchor structure, although the Sears Auto Center remained open for a time. A storm that month also damaged the Firestone and Sears Auto Center facilities. Local government and school authorities challenged a reduced tax assessment following the loss of the two anchors. The mall's financial problems intensified in 2018. JSMN Shenango Valley Mall defaulted on a loan with a reported principal amount of $3.430 million in February, and Metro Commercial was appointed as operator through court proceedings. Iowa Square Realty LLC acquired the property at a sheriff's sale in July for $50,000. Later court proceedings addressed maintenance problems, unpaid rent, taxes, and the purchaser's compliance with court requirements. In January 2019, ownership returned to GFM-23, an entity associated with the McConnell family, after Iowa Square Realty failed to provide a court-ordered bond. Reported conditions at the time included parking-lot deterioration and a leaking roof. Tax-assessment litigation was resolved in June 2019. A proposed redevelopment transaction with LRC Realty became entangled in litigation with JCPenney. GFM-23 agreed in August 2019 to sell the mall to the Akron-based developer, but JCPenney filed a complaint in November arguing that older lease and owner agreements gave it approval rights over changes to the property. The dispute prevented LRC Realty from completing the purchase. The McConnell family prevailed in a Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas decision in February 2022. The property was then sold in August 2022 to Butterfli Holdings LLC, a Cleveland-based subsidiary of Flicore LLC. JCPenney pursued further appeals, but the Pennsylvania Superior Court and Supreme Court declined them on October 13, 2023. Butterfli Holdings issued an eviction notice to JCPenney in March 2023. JCPenney continued operating at the site until announcing a May 2024 closure; its store closed on May 5. Shenango Valley Mall permanently closed on May 31, 2024. Demolition began on January 6, 2025, and was completed on February 23. The site is planned for redevelopment as Hickory Fields, a mixed-use commercial project. The announced first phase is intended to include establishments such as Chili's, LongHorn Steakhouse, Chick-fil-A, and Target. The mall therefore ended not through a rebranding or a continuing retail operation, but through closure, demolition, and conversion of the property to a new commercial development.
History
Shenango Valley Mall opened in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, on March 13, 1968, on land that had been held by the McConnell family. Its early development reflected the growth of enclosed regional shopping centers in the United States. JCPenney became an anchor in January 1969 after moving from Sharon, and the property later included Kaufmann's as another department-store anchor. The mall's role was regional rather than national: it served local shoppers with department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and automotive businesses. The first major renovation since opening took place in 1997. The $3.5 million project included an expansion of Kaufmann's, helping the center modernize its physical plant and strengthen its anchor offering. Ownership then moved through several real-estate companies. Crown American sold the property to PREIT in 2003. PREIT sold it, together with five other malls, to The Lightstone Group in 2004. Kaufmann's became Macy's in August 2006 as part of the broader corporate rebranding of Kaufmann's stores. By the end of the 2000s, the mall faced growing commercial and financial pressure. It entered receivership in January 2009 with three other malls. Jones Lang LaSalle took over management and placed the property on the market in May of that year. A proposed sale involving the mall and two other properties failed in 2010. The center continued operating, but the loss of traditional department-store anchors became increasingly important to its future. The most significant retail contraction occurred in March 2017, when both Macy's and Sears closed. The Sears Auto Center was initially excluded from the department-store closure, although it later closed in October 2018. Firestone and the Sears Auto Center were damaged by a storm in March 2017. The anchor departures also triggered a dispute involving Hermitage and the local school district, which challenged a substantially reduced tax assessment based on the mall's diminished value. Financial and property disputes escalated in 2018. JSMN Shenango Valley Mall defaulted in February on a loan reported at $3.430 million. Courts assigned Metro Commercial to operate the property, and Iowa Square Realty LLC acquired it at a sheriff's sale in July for $50,000. Later that year, hearings addressed maintenance, unpaid rent, taxes, and ownership-related obligations. In December, reported unpaid rent and taxes totaled $243,000. In January 2019, ownership was assigned to GFM-23, associated with the McConnell family, after Iowa Square Realty did not post a court-ordered $25,000 bond. Problems reported around the transition included a deteriorated parking lot and a leaking roof. The tax-assessment dispute was resolved in June 2019. Redevelopment efforts then became central to the property's history. In August 2019, GFM-23 agreed to sell the mall to LRC Realty, an Akron developer with experience redeveloping a former mall in Pittsburgh's North Hills. JCPenney sued in November, asserting that lease and ownership agreements from the 1960s, together with a 2003 extension, gave it rights to approve alterations to the property. The McConnell family disputed JCPenney's interpretation and argued that the relevant provisions had expired. The litigation prevented LRC Realty from completing the purchase. The McConnell family won a Court of Common Pleas decision in February 2022. In August of that year, Butterfli Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cleveland-based Flicore LLC, acquired the property. JCPenney continued to appeal, but the Pennsylvania Superior Court and Supreme Court denied the appeals on October 13, 2023. Butterfli Holdings issued an eviction notice on March 8, 2023; JCPenney remained at the mall until it announced a May 2024 closure. The store closed on May 5, and the mall permanently closed on May 31. Demolition began January 6, 2025, and ended February 23. The former mall site is planned to become Hickory Fields, a mixed-use commercial development. Announced first-phase tenants include Chili's, LongHorn Steakhouse, Chick-fil-A, and Target. The property's trajectory thus moved from a conventional 1960s department-store mall to a financially distressed center and finally to a demolished site intended for open-format commercial redevelopment.
- 2025
Demolition completed
[1]Demolition ran from January 6 through February 23 as the property moved toward Hickory Fields redevelopment.
- 2024
Mall closes permanently
[1]JCPenney closed on May 5, and the mall permanently closed on May 31.
- 2022
Butterfli Holdings acquires the mall
[1]Butterfli Holdings LLC acquired the property after the McConnell family prevailed in redevelopment litigation.
- 2019
Ownership returns to GFM-23
[1]Court proceedings resulted in ownership being assigned to GFM-23, associated with the McConnell family.
- 2018
Loan default and sheriff's sale
[1]The mall defaulted on a reported $3.430 million loan and was later sold at sheriff's sale to Iowa Square Realty LLC for $50,000.
- 2017
Macy's and Sears close
[1]Both department-store anchors closed in March, substantially weakening the mall's anchor base.
- 2009
Receivership begins
[1]The mall entered receivership and Jones Lang LaSalle assumed management.
- 2006
Kaufmann's becomes Macy's
[1]The Kaufmann's store was rebranded as Macy's in August.
- 2004
The Lightstone Group acquires the property
[1]PREIT sold the mall with five other properties to The Lightstone Group.
- 2003
Crown American sells the mall to PREIT
[1]Ownership transferred from Crown American to PREIT.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Hermitage and the wider Shenango Valley, with department-store anchors and a broad mix of specialty retail, services, dining, and automotive tenants. The property ultimately shifted from traditional enclosed-mall retail toward redevelopment as a mixed-use commercial site.
Retail format · 1968
Department-store retail
The mall's principal offering was department-store shopping. Its anchor history included JCPenney, Kaufmann's, Macy's, and Sears. These stores provided broad assortments spanning apparel, footwear, beauty, home merchandise, appliances, and general consumer goods. The department-store model defined the center's positioning from its opening through the period when its major anchors closed.
Shopping mall tenant mix · 1968
Specialty retail and services
Alongside its anchors, Shenango Valley Mall housed specialty retailers, personal services, food businesses, and other local or national tenants. The available reference material does not establish a complete tenant directory, but the mall's operating model was that of a conventional regional enclosed center serving everyday shopping, dining, and service needs.
Automotive services
Automotive services
The property also included automotive-service operations associated with Firestone and the Sears Auto Center. Both facilities were reported damaged in a March 2017 storm. The Sears Auto Center remained after the Sears department store closed but ultimately ceased operations in October 2018.
Brand decisions
2024
Close the enclosed mall and pursue site redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The property had lost its major department-store anchors and JCPenney, the final anchor, closed in May.
Action taken
The mall ceased operations on May 31, followed by demolition and plans to develop Hickory Fields.
Aftermath
The former enclosed mall site is being repositioned as a mixed-use commercial development with announced restaurant and Target components.
2022
Transfer the property to Butterfli HoldingsM&ABackground
Following the lower-court resolution of the redevelopment dispute with JCPenney, the property changed hands.
Action taken
Butterfli Holdings LLC, a Flicore subsidiary, acquired the mall in August.
Aftermath
The new ownership pursued the end of JCPenney's occupancy and redevelopment of the property.
2019
Attempt a sale to LRC RealtyM&ABackground
GFM-23 sought a developer capable of repositioning the aging and financially challenged mall.
Action taken
GFM-23 agreed to sell the property to LRC Realty in August.
Aftermath
JCPenney's lease-related lawsuit prevented LRC Realty from completing the acquisition.
2006
Rebrand Kaufmann's as Macy'sStrategyBackground
Kaufmann's stores were being consolidated under the Macy's name.
Action taken
The Kaufmann's anchor at Shenango Valley Mall was rebranded as Macy's in August.
Aftermath
The mall retained a department-store anchor under the Macy's national brand until the store closed in March 2017.
1997
Undertake the mall's first major renovationOtherBackground
The property had not undergone a major renovation since its 1968 opening and needed modernization to remain competitive as a regional shopping center.
Action taken
The mall completed a reported $3.5 million renovation and expanded the Kaufmann's store.
Aftermath
The project refreshed the center and strengthened one of its department-store anchors.
Renovation cost. $3.5 million (1997)
Sources2 sources
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