The Point at Carlisle Plaza

The Point at Carlisle Plaza is a shopping center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. The property began in 1964 as an open-air shopping plaza and was later expanded into an enclosed mall before being substantially reconfigured in the early 2000s. Its history reflects the changing role of traditional American shopping centers: it began as a locally backed retail development, evolved into a conventional enclosed mall, and later shifted toward a more practical, open or partially reconfigured retail format centered on large destination tenants. The original plaza was developed with backing from David Javitch, founder of Giant Food Stores, and his son Lee Javitch, who subsequently became a senior executive of Giant. In 1968, Crown American Realty Trust, then operating as Crown Construction Company, announced plans to enlarge and enclose the property. The expanded mall opened in 1976 under the Carlisle Plaza Mall name. Ownership changed several times during the property's later history. Crown American sold the mall in November 2002 to Michael Joseph Development Corporation through Carlisle Realty Partners. The property was renamed The Point at Carlisle Plaza in August 2003. Around the same period, the mall underwent a major physical reconfiguration that removed approximately 200,000 square feet, including two former anchor buildings associated with Albion Point Antiques & Collectibles/Kmart and J. C. Penney. The redevelopment cost approximately $4 million. A mural concerning Carlisle's history was moved before construction began, and Lowe's opened in the former space in February 2004; Lowe's owns its store location. Cedar Carlisle LLC acquired the property in August 2005 for $11 million, and Dunham's Sports opened there in late September of that year. Giant, through Point Plaza LLC, purchased the center in October 2012 for $7.35 million. The Bon-Ton later announced that its store would close in January 2018, marking another significant change in the center's tenant mix. The former Bon-Ton space was subsequently used in January 2019 to store new Giant shopping carts. The center's principal publicly documented anchors are Lowe's and Dunham's Sports. Unlike a consumer-goods brand, The Point at Carlisle Plaza functions primarily as a local retail destination and commercial property, offering access to home improvement, sporting goods, and other shopping services provided by tenants. Public reference material does not establish a separate operating company, a dedicated e-commerce business, current management executives, or a comprehensive tenant directory. Its documented significance lies in its long operating history, repeated ownership transitions, adaptive reuse of former department-store space, and transition from an enclosed mall to a more reconfigured shopping-center model.

The Point at Carlisle Plaza originated as Carlisle Plaza, an open-air shopping plaza established in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1964. Its development was backed by David Javitch, the founder of Giant Food Stores, and his son Lee Javitch. The Javitch family's connection to Giant later became relevant to the property's ownership history, as Giant-related interests would eventually acquire the center. In 1968, Crown American Realty Trust, then known as Crown Construction Company, announced plans to expand the open-air plaza into an enclosed mall. The enlarged property opened in 1976 as Carlisle Plaza Mall. This transformation followed the dominant retail-development pattern of the period, in which open-air shopping plazas were converted or expanded into enclosed regional and community malls designed around department-store anchors and an all-weather shopping environment. The property entered a new phase in the early 2000s. In November 2002, Crown American sold the mall to Michael Joseph Development Corporation, which acquired it under the name Carlisle Realty Partners for $5.8 million. The center was renamed The Point at Carlisle Plaza in August 2003. During this period, the property was substantially reconfigured, with approximately 200,000 square feet removed. The work eliminated two anchor buildings formerly associated with Albion Point Antiques & Collectibles/Kmart and J. C. Penney. A mural depicting Carlisle's history was relocated before construction. The renovations reportedly cost $4 million. The redevelopment introduced Lowe's to the former anchor area. Lowe's opened in February 2004 and owns its store within the center. The arrival of a large home-improvement retailer represented a shift away from a conventional department-store-led mall format toward a tenant mix built around essential, destination-oriented retail. Cedar Carlisle LLC purchased the center in August 2005 for $11 million. Dunham's Sports opened in late September 2005, adding a major sporting-goods tenant and reinforcing the property's practical retail orientation. Giant, operating through Point Plaza LLC, purchased The Point at Carlisle Plaza in October 2012 for $7.35 million. This transaction connected the shopping center's later ownership to the Giant grocery business, whose founder had helped back the original development. The Bon-Ton announced in late January 2018 that its store at the property would close. In January 2019, the former Bon-Ton space was used to store new Giant shopping carts, illustrating the adaptive reuse of a former department-store location after the loss of a traditional anchor. Publicly available reference material identifies Lowe's and Dunham's Sports as the center's anchors. It does not provide a complete current tenant roster, a confirmed current ownership structure beyond the documented Point Plaza LLC acquisition, detailed operating statistics, or a named executive team. The property's documented history is therefore best understood as that of a long-running Carlisle retail destination that moved from open-air plaza to enclosed mall and then to a reconfigured shopping center shaped by large-format tenants and changing department-store economics.

• 2019

  Former Bon-Ton space repurposed

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The former Bon-Ton location was used to store new Giant shopping carts.

• 2018

  Bon-Ton closure announced

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The Bon-Ton announced that its store at the center would close.

• 2012

  Giant-related acquisition

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Giant, through Point Plaza LLC, purchased the property for $7.35 million.

• 2005

  Cedar Carlisle acquisition and Dunham's opening

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Cedar Carlisle LLC acquired the center in August, and Dunham's Sports opened in late September.

• 2004

  Lowe's opens

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Lowe's opened in February in space associated with the center's major reconfiguration.

• 2003

  Property renamed

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The mall adopted the name The Point at Carlisle Plaza.

• 2002

  Sale to Carlisle Realty Partners

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Crown American sold the property to Michael Joseph Development Corporation through Carlisle Realty Partners for $5.8 million.

• 1976

  Enlarged enclosed mall opens

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The expanded property opened as Carlisle Plaza Mall.

• 1968

  Enclosed-mall expansion announced

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Crown American Realty Trust announced plans to expand and enclose the existing shopping plaza.

• 1964

  Open-air plaza established

  [1]The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Carlisle Plaza opened as an open-air shopping plaza in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with backing from David Javitch and Lee Javitch.

A local shopping-center destination focused on practical, destination-oriented retail, particularly home improvement and sporting goods.

• Home improvement retail anchor · 2004

  Lowe's

  Lowe's is a major home-improvement anchor at The Point at Carlisle Plaza. The store opened in February 2004 in space created or made available through the center's early-2000s reconfiguration, and Lowe's owns its store location. Its presence gives the property a destination-oriented retail function centered on building materials, hardware, appliances, tools, and related home-improvement needs.

• Sporting-goods retail anchor · 2005

  Dunham's Sports

  Dunham's Sports is a sporting-goods anchor that opened at the center in late September 2005. Its role is consistent with the property's post-reconfiguration strategy of emphasizing large-format, practical retail destinations rather than relying exclusively on traditional department stores.

• 2018

  Bon-Ton store closureOther

  Background

  The Bon-Ton announced that its store at the center would close.

  Action taken

  The department-store location was closed after the announcement.

  Aftermath

  The former Bon-Ton space was later used for storage of new Giant shopping carts.

  Source

• 2005

  Dunham's Sports opensProduct launch

  Background

  Following the center's physical redevelopment and ownership change, another large-format tenant was added.

  Action taken

  Dunham's Sports opened in late September 2005.

  Aftermath

  Dunham's Sports became a documented anchor alongside Lowe's.

  Source

• 2004

  Lowe's opens at the redeveloped centerProduct launch

  Background

  The mall's redevelopment created space for a new major retail anchor.

  Action taken

  Lowe's opened its store at The Point at Carlisle Plaza in February 2004.

  Aftermath

  The store became one of the center's documented anchors and shifted the property toward home-improvement-led destination retail.

  Source

• 2003

  Reconfiguration and repositioning of the mallStrategy

  Background

  The property was being adapted from a conventional enclosed mall format as department-store and anchor-space requirements changed.

  Action taken

  Approximately 200,000 square feet was removed, two former anchor buildings were eliminated, a historical mural was relocated, and the center was repositioned under the name The Point at Carlisle Plaza.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment cost approximately $4 million and enabled Lowe's to open in February 2004, strengthening the center's large-format retail offering.

  Source

1. 1The Point at Carlisle Plazaen.wikipedia.org