Century III Mall Officially Condemned; What's Next?

WEST MIFFLIN, PA — The abandoned Century III Mall officially was condemned by borough officials Tuesday, but what happens next is anyone's guess.

Demolition costs could be as much as $12 million and West Mifflin can't afford that, councilman Dan Davis told WTAE-TV.

Earlier this month, mall owners Moonbeam Capital Investments were fined $240,000 by District Judge Richard Olasz for the building's deteriorated conditions. Court records indicated the owners had violated West Mifflin laws on sanitation, unsafe structures, weeds and high growth.

Moonbeam has promised a redevelopment of the property for years but hasn't delivered.

Once one of the largest malls in the world, Century III's interior closed in 2019. J.C. Penney, which

had an exterior entrance, was the mall's last remaining store; it went out of business in 2020.

Since then, squatters and drug activity have been reported in the mall's derelict ruins. Authorities have advised people against breaking into the graffiti-strewn building, which has mold, pooled water and no power.