Last Century III Mall Store Closing

PITTSBURGH, PA — J.C. Penney, the only remaining retailer left at the dilapidated Century III Mall, will close next week. The bankrupt retailer has added the store to a list of 150 closing as it struggles to remain in business.

An official closing date has not been announced, but all sales will be final as of Aug. 14, according to the J.C. Penney website.

The company declared bankruptcy in May and also is closing stores at Clearview Mall in Butler and the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum. The company initially announced plans to close its Monroeville Mall and Beaver Valley Mall locations, but reversed those plans.

The move signals the official end of the once-bustling Century III.

Century III opened in 1979 and arguably was western Pennsylvania's busiest mall during its 1980s
heyday. Its decline was gradual, but the loss in recent years of anchors such as Macy's and Sears had a snowball effect and prompted many other businesses to exit.

Las Vegas-based Moonbeam Capital Investments, the mall's owner, last year announced plans to demolish the empty building and construct a new mixed-use development that could include offices, residential units, a hotel, entertainment sites and other uses.

But Moonbeam also is in bankruptcy and those plans appear to not have advanced.