Laurel Mall (Pennsylvania)

Laurel Mall

Boscov's wing, February 2015
Location Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Address 106 Laurel Mall Road Hazleton, PA 18202
Opening date 1973[1]
Owner Lexington Realty International
No. of stores and services 60
No. of anchor tenants 3
Total retail floor area 610,000 square feet (57,000 m2)[2]
No. of floors 1
Public transit access Hazleton Public Transit (Routes 10, 90, 95, 100, 110)
Website

Laurel Mall is a shopping mall which opened in 1973 just northwest of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It features three current anchor stores, Kmart, Boscov's, and Dunham's Sports. 10-theater Regal Cinemas and Aldi are outparcels. The mall is owned by Lexington Realty.

History

Opened in 1973, the mall initially featured two anchor stores: Zayre at the west end, and Fowler, Dick, and Walker, The Boston Store at the east end. Original tenants included GNC, Hickory Farms, Karmelkorn, Waldenbooks, Rea & Derrick Drugstore, and an A&P supermarket,[1] of which only GNC remains and moved within the mall in 2016.[3] Boscov's took over the Fowler, Dick & Walker store in 1981,[4] and Zayre sold to Ames in 1989.[5]

Construction of a new wing anchored by J. C. Penney began in 1993.[6] Also that year, the Ames store closed and began conversion to a Kmart,[7] which opened in September 1994.[8] Boscov's expanded by 52,800 square feet (4,910 m2) in 1994,[4] and the mall interior was renovated with skylights and new flooring.[8] McCrory Stores closed at the mall in 1995.[9] One year later, Ben Franklin Crafts replaced it.[10] The space is now Old Navy. A Hoyts movie theater opened next to the mall in 1998.[11]

In July 2005, the mall was sold by PREIT to Laurel Mall, LLC for $33.5 million, including assumed debt of $22.6 million.[12] In August 2008, radio station WBHT sponsored a performance by the boy band Menudo at Laurel Mall.[13] On January 15, 2014, it was announced that the JCPenney store would be closing as part of a plan to close 33 locations nationwide.[14] In 2014 Laurel Mall, LLC changed management companies from LMS Realty to Lexington Realty International.[15] In August 2016, a marketing manager claimed 96.6 percent capacity, and construction was underway for TJ Maxx to "take up almost the entire northwest corner of the mall" in November.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Ground is broken for construction of A&P supermarket at area's new Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 3 May 1973. p. 6.
  2. ↑ "Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust Announces Agreement to Sell Laurel Mall" (Press release). Business Wire. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 Dino, Jim (August 12, 2016). "Laurel Mall to welcome restaurant, 4 stores". Standard~Speaker. Retrieved October 13, 2016. The mall's last original store, GNC Nutrition, is moving from the location it has called home since the mall opened
  4. 1 2 "Boscov's hustled to finish renovation". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 11 October 1994.
  5. ↑ Dino, Jim (28 July 1989). "Zayre department store to become Ames by Nov. 1". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. p. 17.
  6. ↑ "Ground-breaking Friday for J.C. Penney wing at Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 18 August 1993. p. 17.
  7. ↑ "New Kmart store to replace Ames at Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 17 December 1993.
  8. 1 2 "Laurel Mall moves into a new era". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 27 January 1995. p. 17.
  9. ↑ Conrad, Ed (27 January 1995). "Laurel Mall McCrory's to close". Hazleton Standard-Speaker.
  10. ↑ Dino, Jim (4 December 1996). "Craft store coming to mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker.
  11. ↑ "After 25 years, Laurel Mall is still growing". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 25 June 1998.
  12. ↑ "Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust 2006 Annual Report". docstoc.com. PREIT. April 12, 2007. p. 45. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  13. ↑ "Menudo Live!". 97bht.com. Citadel Broadcasting. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  14. ↑ "Here's A List Of The J.C. Penney Stores That Are Closing". The Huffington Post. January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  15. ↑ "2014: A day-by-day look back". The Standard Speaker. Hazleton, Pennsylvania. December 28, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2015. [June] 24: The president of Lexington Realty International, the Laurel Mall's new management firm, said he's confident the mall will reach 100 percent occupancy within two years. Alan Retkinski also disclosed that in early 2015 two 'national retailers' will fill the former JCPenney space and a new restaurant will occupy the former Ground Round.

External links

Coordinates: 40°59′03″N 76°01′00″W / 40.98419°N 76.01670°W / 40.98419; -76.01670

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