Staunton Mall
A former shopping mall in Staunton, Virginia, that opened as Staunton Plaza in 1968 and closed in 2020.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Staunton Mall was a shopping center in Staunton, Virginia, United States. It began as Staunton Plaza, an open-air retail complex whose construction started in 1966 and whose first stores opened in 1968. The original center connected JCPenney and Montgomery Ward through an open-air concourse and included Safeway, Woolworth, Peoples Drug, and other smaller retailers. At opening, the property contained approximately 300,000 square feet of mall retail space and parking for roughly 2,000 vehicles. The center expanded and changed identity during the 1980s. Safeway left after closing its Staunton store in 1982, and its former space was taken over by a Sears outlet in 1984. In 1986, owner Covington Co. announced a major renovation that would enclose the open-air concourse, expand the property to approximately 400,000 square feet, add more shops, and introduce Leggett as a third department-store anchor. Leggett opened in February 1987, and the renovated property adopted the Staunton Mall name. The mall’s anchor roster continued to evolve. The Sears outlet closed in 1989 and was eventually replaced by Goody’s in 1993. Woolworth closed during a nationwide restructuring and its space later became Stone & Thomas and then Peebles. Leggett was subsequently rebranded as Belk. A 1996 renovation relocated the food court, removed a center-court fountain, repainted the exterior, and modified the interior layout. Colonial Properties Trust acquired the property in 1998 and briefly used the name Colonial Mall Staunton. The departure of Montgomery Ward in 2001, following the retailer’s nationwide liquidation, removed another original anchor. After several replacement discussions, the space became Steve & Barry’s in 2004. Gold’s Gym replaced Goody’s in 2006. Ownership changed repeatedly in the following years, including a 2007 acquisition by First Republic Group Realty, a later transfer connected with First Republic’s 2009 bankruptcy, a sale to Kohan Retail Investment Group, and a 2014 transfer to Staunton Mall LLC. By the 2010s, Staunton Mall had lost many inline stores and several anchors. Books-A-Million moved to a larger location in nearby Waynesboro, Steve & Barry’s departed, and Peebles closed in March 2018. JCPenney announced in June 2020 that its store would close as part of a nationwide reduction. In November 2020, it was announced that all remaining tenants other than Belk would leave within 30 days. The mall ceased operating as a conventional shopping center on December 24, 2020, although Belk and surrounding stores remained for a time. Demolition began in March 2022, starting with the former JCPenney building. By February 2023, most of the mall had been partially demolished while Belk and nearby structures remained. The property’s trajectory—from an open-air neighborhood center to an enclosed regional mall and finally a largely demolished site—reflects the effects of anchor-retailer failures, changing shopping patterns, ownership turnover, and declining occupancy.
History
Construction of the retail complex began in 1966 under developer Rosenfeld Realty. The first store to open was Montgomery Ward in September 1968, followed by Safeway in October. JCPenney began operating at the center in April 1969 after a fire had damaged its former Staunton location. Woolworth and Peoples Drug were among the other original tenants. The first configuration was an open-air plaza with a concourse between JCPenney and Montgomery Ward, approximately 300,000 square feet of mall shop space, and parking for about 2,000 cars. Safeway closed its Staunton and nearby Waynesboro stores in late 1982 amid labor difficulties and competition from a non-union supermarket operator. Its Staunton Mall premises were sold in 1984 to Sears, which used the space as an outlet selling excess inventory from Sears stores and catalog operations. The outlet closed in 1989 after weak sales. Covington Co., then the property owner, announced a substantial redevelopment in 1986. The plan enclosed the former open-air walkway, increased the amount of retail space to about 400,000 square feet, added approximately 70 stores, and introduced Leggett as a third department-store anchor. Leggett opened in February 1987, after which the renovated and enclosed property was renamed Staunton Mall. The former Sears space later became a Goody’s clothing store in October 1993. Woolworth announced the closure of its store during a company-wide restructuring, and the location was subsequently occupied by Stone & Thomas. In 1996, owners Steven D. Bell and Co. carried out another renovation. The food court was moved closer to the theater, the former food-court area was converted into additional retail space, the center-court fountain was removed, and the exterior received new paint and canopies. Colonial Properties Trust purchased the mall in 1998 and renamed it Colonial Mall Staunton. Around the same time, Stone & Thomas closed and its space was sold to Peebles, while Leggett was converted to the Belk brand. Montgomery Ward left in early 2001 when the chain ceased operations. Colonial Properties discussed several possible replacements, including Target, Sears, and Old Navy, but the space ultimately became Steve & Barry’s in 2004. Gold’s Gym took over the former Goody’s location in 2006. In 2007, First Republic Group Realty acquired the property and restored the Staunton Mall name. During this period, Steve & Barry’s departed and Books-A-Million moved to a larger store in Waynesboro. First Republic filed for bankruptcy in 2009, after which the property changed hands again, including a transfer to Kohan Retail Investment Group and a 2014 sale to Staunton Mall LLC. The mall continued to lose tenants. Peebles closed in March 2018, and by 2020 JCPenney was also scheduled to leave. On November 24, 2020, the property announced that all remaining tenants other than Belk would vacate within 30 days. The mall closed on December 24, 2020. By 2021, Belk was the only remaining major store and demolition plans had been announced. Demolition began in March 2022 with removal of the JCPenney anchor. Reporting available by February 2023 described the mall as substantially, but not completely, demolished, with Belk and surrounding structures still standing. The property is therefore treated as a defunct mall even though some successor retail uses remained on or near the former site.
- 2022
Demolition begins
[1]Demolition started with the removal of the former JCPenney anchor building.
- 2020
Mall closes
[1]After JCPenney’s planned departure and the announced evacuation of nearly all other tenants, the mall closed on December 24.
- 2018
Peebles closes
[1]Peebles vacated its anchor location in March, leaving the mall with fewer major department-store tenants.
- 2009
Ownership changes after First Republic bankruptcy
[1]First Republic’s bankruptcy preceded another ownership transfer, including a subsequent sale to Kohan Retail Investment Group.
- 2007
First Republic Group Realty acquisition
[1]First Republic Group Realty purchased the property and returned its name to Staunton Mall.
- 2004
Steve & Barry’s opens
[1]Steve & Barry’s occupied the former Montgomery Ward space after discussions involving several potential replacement tenants.
- 2001
Montgomery Ward departs
[1]The original Montgomery Ward anchor closed after the retailer went out of business.
- 1998
Colonial Properties Trust acquisition
[1]Colonial Properties Trust acquired the mall and used the Colonial Mall Staunton name.
- 1996
Interior and exterior renovation
[1]The food court and interior layout were changed, the fountain was removed, and the exterior was repainted and fitted with new canopies.
- 1987
Enclosure and renaming completed
[1]The open-air plaza was enclosed and expanded, Leggett opened as a new anchor, and the property adopted the Staunton Mall name.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Staunton and surrounding communities in the Shenandoah Valley. Its tenant mix historically combined department stores, grocery and discount retail, specialty shops, food service, and fitness uses.
Department stores · 1968
Department-store retail
Department stores were the mall’s principal anchor offering. Over its history, the property hosted JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Leggett, Belk, Stone & Thomas, Peebles, and Steve & Barry’s. These stores provided apparel, footwear, home goods, accessories, and general merchandise, while their arrivals and departures largely determined the mall’s changing commercial identity.
Supermarket and outlet retail · 1968
Grocery and discount retail
The original center included Safeway, giving the development a grocery component in addition to department stores and mall shops. After Safeway closed, the space was converted into a Sears outlet specializing in overstock and catalog merchandise. The outlet closed in 1989 and was later redeveloped for other uses.
Mall specialty retail and services · 1968
Specialty shopping and services
The mall’s inline tenant mix included specialty shops, a drugstore, books, food-court operators, and later a fitness facility. Notable occupants included Peoples Drug, Books-A-Million, Goody’s, and Gold’s Gym. These uses supplemented the department-store anchors and changed as retailers relocated, closed, or were replaced.
Brand decisions
2022
Begin demolition of the former mallOtherBackground
After the mall’s 2020 closure and continued loss of tenants, the site was prepared for physical redevelopment or clearance.
Action taken
Demolition began with the former JCPenney anchor building.
Aftermath
By February 2023, the former mall was reported to be partially demolished, with Belk and surrounding stores remaining.
2020
Vacate most remaining tenants and close the mallStrategyBackground
The property had lost multiple anchors and many inline stores, while JCPenney was also scheduled to close.
Action taken
The property announced that all remaining tenants except Belk would leave within approximately 30 days, and the mall ceased operating on December 24.
Aftermath
Belk and nearby structures remained temporarily, but the former mall was subsequently slated for demolition.
1996
Reconfigure the food court and common areasStrategyBackground
The mall pursued a physical refresh after anchor and tenant changes affected the earlier layout.
Action taken
The food court was moved closer to the theater, the former food-court area was converted to additional mall space, the fountain was removed, and the exterior was repainted.
Aftermath
The renovation updated the property’s circulation, appearance, and leasable interior areas.
1986
Enclose and expand the open-air plazaStrategyBackground
The original open-air format was being repositioned as a larger, enclosed shopping mall with more stores and a new department-store anchor.
Action taken
The owner announced plans to enclose the concourse, increase retail space to approximately 400,000 square feet, add stores, and bring in Leggett.
Aftermath
The redevelopment was completed during 1986–1987, and the property was renamed Staunton Mall.
Recent events
- 2022
Demolition begins at Staunton Mall[1]
Other
The demolition process began in March 2022, beginning with the former JCPenney anchor building.
- 2020
Staunton Mall announces departure of nearly all remaining tenants[1]
Other
In November 2020, the property announced that all remaining tenants except Belk would vacate within approximately 30 days.
- 2020
JCPenney announces Staunton Mall store closure[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
JCPenney included its Staunton location in a nationwide plan announced in June 2020 to close 154 stores, with the local store expected to shut by about October.
- 2020
Staunton Mall closes as an operating shopping center[1]
Other
The mall closed on December 24, 2020, after decades of anchor departures and declining inline occupancy. Belk was the principal remaining store.
Sources1 sources
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