Schuylkill Mall- A Look Back 5 Years Later

        NOTE: This post comes from just outside the blog's coverage area.

       I'm sure most of you are aware of the Schuylkill Mall's story. Just to cover some basics, this was a huge mall that opened in 1980 as one the biggest in Pennsylvania at that time. With Sears, Kmart and Hess's as original anchors. There was talk of bringing JCPenney as a fourth anchor, but instead a Pomeroy's would take that slot in 1983. That space in turn quickly found itself replaced with Bon-Ton. Phar-Mor would open as a fifth anchor in 1991.

    The 1990s would see Hess's close and replaced with U.S. Factory Outlets before becoming Black Diamond Antiques. When Phar-Mor closed, Black Diamond moved to operate in that space. Steve & Barry's and later Famous Labels would use the original Hess store. Both wouldn't last long. With Dunham's Sports opening in 2012, Black Diamond Antiques would then relocate back to the space they originally opened in.

    The mall's decline kicked into full throttle as one by one anchor tenants would close up shop. It started with Sears in late 2014 with Kmart following only a few months later in early 2015. Black Diamond Antiques would close in 2016 and Bon-Ton closed prior to their bankruptcy in 2017. The mall would close to the public in summer 2017 leaving just Dunham's and a local movie theater in operation. (due to them having exterior entrances)

    I managed to take the tour of the mall myself in May 2017, just before the mall closed permanently. There were a few tenants still, but many were simply preparing to relocate or close altogether. 

    And now a few photos from 2019 of the demolition/construction work I took while passing through the area.