The site of a former steelyard brought one of America's largest malls at the
time in 1978 to Pittsburgh's South side in Century III Mall. Located along
Clairton Blvd. approximately 8 miles south of Downtown, it dealt a serious blow
to the Eastland Mall mentioned on this site, stealing its JCPenney.
Century III opened with 5 anchors, unlike any other mall in Pittsburgh. It had
JCPenney, Sears, Kaufmann's, Horne's and Gimbel's. No mall featured
Kaufmann's, Horne's and Gimbel's together in the Pittsburgh area. The mall
featured a unique design in that it was a 2-level mall, but a split-level mall.
The first floor in the Sears/Horne's wing was really the second level of the
rest of the mall, and the second level of that wing created essentially the
third level of the mall, hence the name Century III. The mall was built by
DeBartolo.
Steel dominated the economy of the South side of Pittsburgh, its most
working-class side, and throughout the 1980's, became decimated in that local
economy, eroding the base of the mall's shoppers.
Gimbel's closed their Pittsburgh stores in 1986, selling many to Kaufmann's. The Century III store remained empty since Kaufmann's was already there. It
would be empty for a decade until Wickes Furniture and TJ Maxx & More filled
the space. In 1994, Horne's was bought by Federated, and converted into
Lazarus. The division struggled, and Federated closed the Century III store
(along with Greengate and Beaver Valley) because of poor sales in 1997. The
space became Kaufmann's Furniture Galleries.
The mall isn't dead yet, but many of its areas are today. The JCPenney wing,
as well as the Sears/Kaufmann's Furniture wing are almost completely vacant,
and only filled with mainly local stores, or services. Many of the stores
cater to an urban demographic and feel rundown, usually using the old
storefronts of previous stores. Oddly, the middle of the mall is the most
lively, featuring the stores found in many malls. Wickes closed their
Pittsburgh stores and TJ Maxx left the former Gimbel's space. Steve & Barry's
took the first floor, and Dick's Sporting Goods took the second level, and
they're both there today.
The downturn of the economy in Pittsburgh really hurt this mall, but the
shoppers' still came from miles around for many years. While Century III Mall
was renovated in the mid 1990's, so was its sister mall South Hills Village,
located about 5 miles to the west in Bethel Park, which featured Sears,
Gimbel's (which became Kaufmann's), and Horne's (which became Lazarus, now
Macy's). South Hills Village moved upscale over the years, taking some stores
from the larger Century III. It is very unlikely that 2 malls of this size
would coexist in other cities of similar size if Pittsburgh had any sort of a
Beltway (2-lane color-coded belts connect much of the city, and aren't terribly
convenient for travelers, and tend to be congested). Also, many of the upscale
dollars shifted to the Waterfront, located on the site of the old Homestead
mill, which has a streetscape featuring many upscale tenants usually found in
malls, as well as a large power center.
Time will tell how Kaufmann's becoming Macy's will affect the mall. I suspect
it is doubtful Macy's will keep both a regular store and a furniture gallery
here (They already have a Macy's Furniture from the Lazarus at Ross Park in the
North Hills). The Kaufmann's has been untouched since its 1978 opening, and
still features the wood accents inside, and the black smoked glass outside
(Even the original Kaufmann's sign, an elongated New Roman font in white, with
gold dots surrounding the K". If both of those stores are to be removed by
Federated, Century III's fate may be sealed. The area surrounding the mall is
already a big-box hotbed featuring all the usuals (Lowe's, Bed Bath & Beyond,
Staples the largest exceptions, but the first 2 of these are 4 miles to the
north at the Waterfront). Century III has always been Pittsburgh's most
fascinating mall, and I wish it the best.
Next month actually. :( If any of you guys want to see it for the last time, make those plans asap.
Elana Slesnick’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2025
To be demolished in the next few days or so. Rest in peace, grand old lady.
Joseph Emerson’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020
Only JC Penney remains.
Bill Volk’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020
West Mifflin borough condemned the mall today (2/6/19) due to lack of working fire suppression and heating. It may reopen if Moonbeam Capital pays to repair the systems in question, but that seems unlikely.
Willette Athena Rivers’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2020
"If both of those stores are to be removed by Federated, Century III's fate may be sealed."
Debi Hall’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2019
About 8 stores remain in this mall. It was scheduled to be auctioned in June, then July- then September. Sears has said that the current owners owe them over $4 million. The auction has been pushed back to this December. I remember being completely astounded when I went to the mall. I had just moved into the area in 1979, the year it opened and got to witness its glory. Three floors!!! Shopped there often, my kids loved it. Last time I was there, about 10 years ago it was scarey. All the fountains were shut off; most of the stores were empty; and the carpets were thread bare. Usually did my Christmas shopping here after Greengate Mall closed. Will miss it.
Other Email Contributions:
donotreply’s Commentary:
User submitted May 2014
email:
Just an update on Century III Mall. Steve & Barry\'s went bankrupt and Macy\'s eventually closed its furniture store in 2009, leaving those two former anchors vacant. (Macy\'s regular store in the former Kaufmann\'s is still open.) Nothing else has changed with this mall, although I would imagine that the delays in completing the long-awaited Mon-Fayette Expressway isn\'t doing Century III any justice. West Mifflin, as well as other communities in which the Mon-Fayette is scheduled to go through between neighboring Jefferson Hills (where the highway currently terminates) and the planned northern terminus in Monroeville, did recently pass a resolution supporting completing the highway to present to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), hoping that Act 89 funding and/or a P3 partnership goes towards completing it. Right now, the PTC is constructing the second leg of the related Southern Beltway, so if any construction starts on extendin
g the Mon-Fayette, the earliest that would happen (if it happens at all) would be 2019. By that point, it may be too late for Century III Mall.
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Alex Stoke’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2025A large chunk has now been demolished
Elana Slesnick’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2025Next month actually. :( If any of you guys want to see it for the last time, make those plans asap.
Elana Slesnick’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2025To be demolished in the next few days or so. Rest in peace, grand old lady.
Joseph Emerson’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020Only JC Penney remains.
Bill Volk’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2020West Mifflin borough condemned the mall today (2/6/19) due to lack of working fire suppression and heating. It may reopen if Moonbeam Capital pays to repair the systems in question, but that seems unlikely.
Willette Athena Rivers’ Commentary:
User submitted in 2020"If both of those stores are to be removed by Federated, Century III's fate may be sealed."
Debi Hall’s Commentary:
User submitted in 2019About 8 stores remain in this mall. It was scheduled to be auctioned in June, then July- then September. Sears has said that the current owners owe them over $4 million. The auction has been pushed back to this December. I remember being completely astounded when I went to the mall. I had just moved into the area in 1979, the year it opened and got to witness its glory. Three floors!!! Shopped there often, my kids loved it. Last time I was there, about 10 years ago it was scarey. All the fountains were shut off; most of the stores were empty; and the carpets were thread bare. Usually did my Christmas shopping here after Greengate Mall closed. Will miss it.