JC Penney to Close Nearly 30% of Stores in Chapter 11

Montgomery Mall may soon have yet another empty anchor store.

J.C. Penney Co. announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Fri. May 15, and continued the unrest at the long-standing mall.

According to news releases, the 118-year-old department store chain will close 240 of its 846 locations during the Chapter 11 process.

The actual store closing list has not yet been announced.

J.C. Penney has been a Montgomery Mall anchor store since the mall's opening in 1977. Sears, another long-term anchor, closed in February 2020. Wegman's was built on the site of the former Boscov's anchor in 2013.