With Chambersburg Mall officially dead, owner eyes redevelopment

The Chambersburg Mall is officially dead, and the owner and a local economic development organization are setting out to redevelop the property.

Black Rose Antiques and Collectibles was the last tenant at the mall. Its last day of business was June 30.

Just weeks before, AMC Theaters closed for good.

Related: Facebook post announces closing of Chambersburg Mall movie theater

The mall, located in Greene Township off Interstate 81 Exit 20, hadn’t been bustling in years. The last decade saw store after store leaving. Small businesses took over some spaces, but business was short-lived.

It’s been five years since Chambersburg Mall lost its last major department store. A mall anchor since 1985, The Bon-Ton closed in the summer of 2018 when the company liquidated its remaining 200 locations.

2015 saw the closure of anchors Sears and J.C. Penney within months of each other. Black Rose Antiques moved into the former Sears, but the classic J.C. Penney sign has remained on the outside of that store ever since.

Burlington closed in early 2019 after 10 years at the mall. That anchor space was previously the home of Value City.

Comics World was at the mall for 20 years before it moved to a strip mall on Lincoln Way East in 2018. The manager at the time said the number of store closures and dwindling foot traffic influenced the decision to relocate.

Things weren't looking good in 2018: Bon-Ton closure makes Chambersburg Mall's future more uncertain

What hurt business at Chambersburg Mall?

The 455,000-square-foot mall opened in 1982.

Greene Township's status as a "dry" municipality was a big hurdle to Chambersburg Mall's success since the beginning, according to Mike Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Development Corp. Unable to sell alcohol, restaurants had little incentive to open at the mall and invigorate business there.

"The current fate of the mall was determined at the time of its initial development in that Greene Township was a 'dry' municipality, which in turn limited out-parcel sales to restaurants that calculate alcohol sales as part of their financial sustainability … and whose presence can help drive patrons to the mall," Ross said. "Interestingly, there was never a grocery store either, which has always been identified as a 'need' in the Scotland area of Greene Township."

As with many other malls around the country, Chambersburg Mall felt the impact of customers' changing shopping habits. Online shopping, the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have led the number of malls in America to drop from about 2,500 in the 1980s to about 700 now, Business Insider reported in fall 2022.

The development of shopping centers in the area of Norland Avenue and Walker Road in the heart of the Chambersburg area also likely hurt the mall's business. As this shopping area grew, business at the mall dwindled.

Warehouses and more: Pressure building as I-81 continues driving development in Franklin County

What will happen to the Chambersburg Mall property?

The Franklin County Area Development Corp. has been working with NAMDAR Realty, the mall's owner, on redevelopment possibilities, Ross said.

"While a specific reuse concept has not yet been determined, the ownership is committed to marshaling the turn-around of what has been an historically underperforming asset as quickly as possible," Ross said in an email. "The reuse plans will likely call for mixed-use development that complies with Greene Township’s zoning designation as Highway Commercial."

Recent years have seen the rapid development of many warehouses and related transportation facilities around Franklin County, particularly along the I-81 corridor. But that won't be the future for the Chambersburg Mall site, as Greene Township has zoned the area to not allow for it, Ross said.

There has been discussion in recent years concerning what would become of the Chambersburg Mall. Purchases and plans have been in the rumor mill.

"I’ve had a working relationship with the mall ownership for the last 7+ years and this (is) the most engaged in wanting to repurpose the mall property into a performing asset that addresses a combination of community needs … housing, health care, retail/commercial opportunities, etc.," Ross said.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Chambersburg Mall officially closed