The Block Northway

(Redirected from The Shoppes at Northway)

The Block Northway is a shopping mall in Ross Township, north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the corner of McKnight Road and Babcock Boulevard, just north of Ross Park Mall. LRC Realty, an Akron, Ohio-based real estate developer, redeveloped and redesigned the mall into the present-day configuration as a shopping and entertainment mall anchored by Dave & Buster's, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th, The Container Store, Bassett Furniture, Marshalls, DSW, Ulta Beauty and PetSmart.

The Block Northway
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LocationRoss Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,  USA
Coordinates40°33′05″N 80°01′17″W / 40.5513°N 80.0213°W / 40.5513; -80.0213
Opening date1953 (strip mall)
August 1, 1962 (enclosed mall)
DeveloperLRC Realty, Pinpoint Retail
ManagementLRC Realty
OwnerLRC Realty
No. of stores and services30+
No. of anchor tenants9
Total retail floor area467,848 sq ft (43,464.5 m2)
No. of floors2
Parking1,884 spaces (outdoor and enclosed)
Public transit accessBus transport Port Authority bus: 12, O12, P13
WebsiteOfficial website

History

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Northway Shopping Center/Northway Mall

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The Block Northway began as a strip mall called Northway Shopping Center, which opened in 1953. In 1962, an enclosed portion was added above the existing strip, thus creating the renamed Northway Mall. This renovation made Northway Mall the first enclosed shopping mall in the state of Pennsylvania.[1] The original mall also included an aviary on the upper floor atrium, which was removed in 1994.

Shoppes at Northway

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In 1995, the mall was renovated by McNeil Real Estate of Dallas, Texas, which owned the center at the time. It was then sold to the Archon Group (also of Dallas), who put the mall up for sale again in 2000. At the time, the mall was at 94% occupancy.[2] When occupancy declined, plans were announced to convert the mall's enclosed upper level to a strip center. Under the plan, the mall was renamed to The Shoppes at Northway, which took place in 2005. This construction eliminated the discount movie theater.[3] In 2007, new tenants were announced for the Shoppes at Northway, including a shoe store and a family play center.[4] Value City and Old Navy closed in 2008, while the family play center (the Kid Company, which replaced the food court) existed only briefly.

Borders closed its store at Northway in 2011 in response to the company's liquidation. Dick's Sporting Goods closed its Shoppes at Northway location on April 8, 2014 as a result of the store's relocation to McCandless Crossing.[5]

As of October 2014, much of the upper level was empty, consisting only of Marshall's and Shoe Carnival. The lower level was in a similarly depressed state, with PetSmart, Northway Shoe and Repair, a music performance instruction school and a hair salon. A number of spaces, such as the former Party City, Ritz Camera and Csonka Optical storefronts, remained vacant.

Mamma Lucia's, an Italian restaurant located in the mall since 1974, announced their intentions to close effective December 31, 2014. Repurposed, a second-hand merchandise store, also announced their intention not to renew their lease, which expired in late 2014.[6]

The Block Northway

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LRC Realty, the owner of the mall since December 2012, announced their intention to renovate and redevelop the mall. The mall will stay open during construction, which is expected to last until early 2018. Under the redevelopment, the mall was to be renamed Northway Collection,[7] before becoming The Block Northway. As of December 2017, construction on the major mall areas, such as the north corridor, south atrium, and the 100-space enclosed parking garage is complete. Dave & Buster's opened on February 18, 2019.

References

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  1. ^ "State's first enclosed mall -- Northway -- celebrates 40 years".
  2. ^ Northway Mall owner put site on block again
  3. ^ Northway Mall plans announced | YourNorthHills.com
  4. ^ Northway Mall announces new tenants Pittsburgh Business Times
  5. ^ "DICK'S Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening of Relocated Store at McCandless Crossing in Pittsburgh, PA". MarketWatch by The Wall Street Journal. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  6. ^ Trozzo, Sandy (16 October 2014). "Pizza shop pulls out of Northway in Ross". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  7. ^ Shumway, John (15 October 2014). "Northway Mall To Undergo Major Renovation". CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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