Our Towns: Shopping not the same at the Beaver Valley Mall as stores continue to close

Editor's Note: Our Towns is a series looking at the people and places that are part of the communities of Beaver County, many of which often don't get a lot of attention from those outside their borders. It's a place for unheard voices and surprises about the county we share.

CENTER TWP. ― As Beaver County residents scramble to find the best holiday deals, grumbling about the region's lack of shopping options can become a common theme.

Local shopping isn't impossible for county residents, as several supermarkets are scattered around the region, and small community shops throughout the Beaver Valley are perfect for unique gifts for family and friends. But for those who have called the area home for decades, memories of the packed hallways at the Beaver Valley Mall can be an experience deeply missed this time of year.

Previously a hot spot for shopping, the Center Township shopping destination has slowly faltered as many shopping malls across the country have seen stores leave their physical locations behind. While the Beaver Valley Mall used to have a monopoly on good shopping options, the shifting culture of shopping has led to locals needing to travel miles to find some of their favorite stores.

What made the Beaver Valley Mall special?

Every time that Black Friday happened at the mall, photographers from The Beaver County Times captured the popularity of the Beaver Valley Mall with pictures of halls packed with customers. Shoulder to shoulder, the sheer amount of people gathered under the Christmas decorations shows the popularity of those traveling to the region for their holiday purchases.

It can be hard to imagine packed shopping malls today, but the Beaver Valley Mall was an instant hit among shoppers in the area and served as a cultural hub for the region. From new fashion to fun and games, there was something for everyone to enjoy in the busy halls of the building.

When Beaver County's mall opened in 1970, malls were the "groovy" thing for Americans, but one of the major appeals of the Center location was the absence of competition. For decades, the Beaver Valley Mall was one of the easiest-to-access options for shoppers west of Pittsburgh, offering access to unique stores for those in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Teenagers from Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence and other local counties had a spot to socialize, while older visitors with disposable income could find items previously unseen in the region.

Beaver County residents had their favorite stores at the mall. Some made ritualistic stops at Hot Sam's Pretzels for a snack, explored the selections at Woolworth's for special finds, or met at Pizza Boy for after-school meals. By the early 2000s, visitors could shop for new books, used video games, fresh fashion and top off the trip with a stop by Auntie Anne's for fresh treats and lemonade.

Christmas shopping happened in highly decorated corridors and countless stores lining the mall's center. On Black Friday, the rush for deals had people camped outside the building, excited to get into the doors to find the perfect gifts and snag some of the best deals in the mall.

While areas like Northern Lights Shopping Center offered stiff competition for shoppers' attention, the cultural impact of the Beaver Valley Mall was impossible to replicate. Serving as both a lively social setting and a way to keep up with the latest trends, the mall was the place to experience Beaver County's social life in a fun way.

Some more interesting mall history:

• The Beaver Valley Mall opened to local shoppers on Sept. 23, 1970. Before the grand opening, the mall’s first anchor store, Gimbels, opened in November 1969.

• The Beaver Valley Mall was built on the site of the former Pettibon Raccoon Golf Course, a 100-acre course that ran from the former Kings Family Restaurant to the former Sears Auto Center behind Rural King. A sign of this history is still reflected in the road used to enter the mall, Golfview Drive.

• The Center Township exit along Interstate 376 was developed for mall access, acting as the Beaver County Expressway's “end of the road.” The Vanport Bridge, constructed in 1970, eventually expanded the highway to the Beaver area and continued to grow from there.

• One of the longest-lasting stores at the mall is Spencer’s, now a staple for malls across the country. The store opened to Beaver County customers as Spencer Gifts on Sept. 23, 1970.

• The mall originally opened with 100 stores, including Musicland, Walden Books, Nobil Shoes, Bernard Wigs, Docktor Pet Center, Paris Boutique, Peck & Peck, Suzie’s Casuals, National Record Mart, Woolworth's, Chess King, Standard Sportswear, Lerner’s clothing and Yum Yum Tree.

• In 1972, a visiting zoo was responsible for the only kangaroo chase in Beaver County history. While animals were loaded onto a truck after an event at the Beaver Valley Mall, a female kangaroo got loose and fled into the woods. Beaver County Humane Society personnel and police eventually tracked down the animal by Route 18 five hours later.

Beaver Valley Mall a reflection of national changes

Walking through the Beaver Valley Mall today, visitors find much of the energy that defined the shopping center has evaporated over the past decade. The building still sees foot traffic, but that spirit of excitement has disappeared in recent years.

Large stretches of empty storefronts make the mall feel empty and limit its usefulness as a shopping destination. Several local businesses still operate within the space, offering some unique options for browsing, but national brands such as American Eagle, Victoria's Secret, Books-A-Million and Yankee Candle have slowly left the building in recent years.

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Trendy items can still be found at the mall, but the selection is now extremely limited. The days of fresh pretzels and countless bags have ended at the mall, replaced by a desire for more out of a shopping trip.

The decrease in stores in Center isn't unique to Beaver County, as malls around the nation are slowly becoming known as "dead malls" due to the lack of options. While the decline in stores is disappointing for those who grew up in the area, the Beaver Valley Mall has not yet seen the same level of disappearing businesses that other institutions across the country have experienced.

Reporters from The Times contacted mall management to ask what may be causing the difficulty in finding new stores, but they did not comment.

The Namdar Reality Group bought the mall in 2017 as locations such as Sears and Macy's began to shutter their storefronts. The reality group is known for purchasing multiple shopping malls struggling to stay open across the country and recently made local headlines when it fell behind on paying taxes for the Pittsburgh Mills property and was threatened with a sheriff's sale of the location.

Despite the grim comparison to the height of the mall's popularity, several areas still see successful businesses. The mall's three conventional anchor stores, Boscov's, Dick's and JCPenny, have continued to bring people to the building. Rural King, which took over the location of the former Sears, has also drawn in customers looking for farming supplies and a variety of other items offered by the store.

While the disappearance of spots like Subway has left space at the food court, Chick-fil-A and Charlie's Philly Steaks still see support from locals. Many residents disappointed to see the closure of Anthony's Pizza will be excited to see the ovens reignited as the owners return to bring pizza to their fans soon.

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The mall is still trying to build its specialty section, The Shops at Beaver Valley Mall, by utilizing the space near the former Macy's entrance. While Firehouse Subs is currently the only shop in this space, a large banner advertises open space for businesses to move into.

Mall management did not respond to requests for comment on what would be coming to the Beaver Valley Mall in the future or hopes for these spaces.

Even with these benefits, it can be hard to argue the mall's positive features to a community that has experienced better shopping spaces. For residents who grew up with the mall, purchasing their books, video games, favorite outfits or knick-knacks from stores inside the building, visiting the ghost of the former experience can be difficult.

What is the next step for local malls?

While several theories exist about what caused hundreds of community shopping malls in America to close, the effects are easy to see in Pennsylvania communities. In the Pittsburgh region, locations such as the Century III Mall in West Mifflin have become synonymous with the disappearance of local shopping options, while the abandoned property serves as a public blight.

Many shopping malls are skeletons of their former success, with a handful of stores bringing visitors through their property. Popular anchor stores can keep many of these locations open for longer, but areas like Pittsburgh Mills often become a point of sadness for those who remember the excitement of their teenage years spent in the halls of these businesses.

The Mall at Robinson still has very high levels of foot traffic through the building and its popular food court, but several storefronts in the mall have remained empty in recent years. The mall still has not found a new anchor location for the previous home of its Sears department store, but the space has become a recurring home for Spirit Halloween.

As these malls start to fade, they may look towards recent developments at the Beaver Valley Mall for inspiration on how the next "shopping mall" may attract customers. While there are large numbers of empty storefronts, the building still serves as a central community gathering place for some new events in Beaver County, such as the Tri-State Pet Expo. Carnivals that have taken place in the mall parking lot also generated a lot of interest, drawing in people to see what was available.

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If visiting the mall in the morning, Beaver County residents may also spot groups of people walking around the mall for exercise. Several signs are posted around the building by Heritage Valley Health System, each telling pedestrians how much exercise they have completed on their leisure walks.

While national brands may have shut their doors, local support services have found a home in spaces within the halls of the Beaver Valley Mall. Organizations like Adagio Health, Career Link, Head Start and The Center at the Mall bring community members various necessary services in a "one-stop" location easily accessible by public transportation.

The new challenge for shopping malls will be combining these concepts of community needs with access to unique shops, serving as a "town square" like location for communities in the area. While the days of unruly teenage "mall rats" flooding businesses after school may be over, these buildings may be able to capitalize on bringing people together in new and exciting ways.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Our Towns: A look at the importance of the Beaver Valley Mall for local shoppers