Pittsburgh's Monroeville Mall


The original trademark for the Steel City's fifth shopping mall. The 2-level complex, touted as the largest interior mall between Long Island and Chicago, opened for business in May of 1969.
Graphic from Don-Mark Realty 

Sister center to Don-Mark Realty's SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE, MONROEVILLE MALL originally encompassed 1,014,800 leasable square feet. An outparcel convenience center, known as the ANNEX SHOPS, housed an additional 110,200 square feet. A vast parking area had spaces for 8,000 autos.

MONROEVILLE MALL TENANTS 1978:

GIMBELS-PITTSBURGH (with restaurant, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY (with Coffee Shop, Garden Center, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / JOSEPH HORNE COMPANY (with Patio Shop, Beauty Salon and restaurant)

LOWER LEVEL
G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / A Shop Called East / Accessories (kiosk) / Alden's Sports Center / Andre Duval Beauty Salon / Anticipation Maternity / Bakers Shoes / Bathtrends / Belle's Restaurant / Camera & Card Shop / Candy Tree / Can-Do Shop (kiosk) / Cards Royale / Cheeesboard / Country Legend / Deroy Jewelers / Di Pomodoro Restaurant / Dresbold Office Supply / Fabric Tree / Eastern Wigs / Executive Professional Offices / Family Book Store / Fanny Farmer Candies / Fashion Hosiery / Florsheim Shoes / Foto Hut (kiosk) / H.B. Kline / Hanover Shoes / Hughes & Hatcher men's wear / Ice Palace skating rink / India Shop / Interior Systems / Joan Bari / Kinderphoto (kiosk) / Kinney Shoes / Kubrick Mini Gardens (kiosk) / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Master Wine Maker / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Miles Shoes / Monroeville Mall Ministry (kiosk) / National Record Mart / Ormond's ladies' wear / Parklane Hosiery / Pipes Unlimited / Pontil Point (kiosk) / Proving Ground / Pup A Go-Go / Radio Shack / Scoop / Singer Sewing Center / Slack Shack / Spencer Gifts / Stanyan Street / The Athlete's Foot / The Wild Pair shoes / Thom McAn Shoes / Toyco / Uniforms East / Waldenbooks / Wander Sales

UPPER LEVEL
Animal Krackers / Arts International Gallery / Azen's / Baily, Banks & Biddle Jewelers / Baskin-Robbins ice cream / Brown Derby restaurant / Cam Troy Flowers (kiosk) / Chandler's Shoes / Chest Tees (kiosk) / Coach House / Collector's Cabinet / Community Room / Craft Showcase / Daisy Donuts / Dominic's Catering / Equibank / Executive Professional Offices / Foxmoor Casuals ladies' wear / GNC / Hahn Shoes / Hearing Aid Center / Herrold Jewelers / Jaison's / Jeanery / Kamps / Kard Korner / Kenny Kardon The Young Idea / Junior Shoe World / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Maggi Shops / Male Box / Monroeville Music / Monroeville Mall Barber Shop / Monroeville Mall Shoe Repair / Miller's / Naturalizer Shoes / No Name / Parafermalia 1 / Parafermailia 2 / Parklane Hosiery / Pennsylvania Lottery Booth (kiosk) / Posa Coiffures / Rezenstein's / Rhea's Bakery / Royers / Richman Brothers men's wear / Silverman's men's wear / Standard Sportswear / Susan Ives ladies' wear / Sweet William restaurant / Thayer McNeil Shoes / The Limited ladies' wear / Thrift Drug / Wayne-Weil / You're Putting Me On

ANNEX SHOPS
A & P SUPERMARKET / GIANT EAGLE SUPERMARKET / Belmar Candy Company / Kubrick Brothers Garden Center / Mall Newsroom / May-Stern's / Moio's Italian Pastry Shop / Monroeville Mall Beverage Center / Monroeville Mall Cleaners / PPG Decorating Center / Peking Restaurant / State Liquor Store / Tom's Butcher Blok / US Post Office 


A VINTAGE MONROEVILLE MALL TV COMMERCIAL:

This "Pop-Art Nouveau" TV spot, from 1969-1970, appeared over the Steel City airwaves soon after the mall was completed. Viewed today, it makes the Curator feel MIGHTY old and over the hill. Yes, this was considered new and provocative at the time!

Click here...


A great deal of notoriety was received when the mall was used during shooting of 1979's "Dawn of the Dead" horror flick.
Poster from Laurel Group Incorporated / United Film Distribution Company / Wikipedia "Melesse" [See Fair Use Ratioinale at end of article]

An updated logo was commissioned in 1987 as part of the Monroeville Mall Mardis Gras celebration. It commemorated a mall makeover and anchor store expansion project. 
Graphic from Oxford Development / Pittsburgh Press

A 2006-vintage view of the north facade of MONROEVILLE MALL.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties


Here we see the concourse of THE DISTRICT, a "lifestyle" component and the mall's main entrance. Built between 2003 and 2005, it houses nine stores and services.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Avicennassis"


The Treats Food Court was installed in an old ice skating rink in 1983-1984. In 2017, it encompassed fourteen eateries, including Auntie Anne's, Dairy Queen, Sakkio of Japan, Charlie's Steakery, China King and Madres Mexican.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties


The mall's Macy's, which was originally a Joseph Horne Company (and then a Lazarus).
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties

Between 2012 and 2014, the mall was renovated for a fourth time. A pesky vacant anchor store on the west end was repurposed as a downsized J.C. Penney and relocated Dick's Sporting Goods. The original Penney's, that had served the mall for 43 years, was gutted and rebuilt into a movie multiplex and five inline store spaces. The largest of these was occupied by H & M.
MONROEVILLE MALL
William Penn Highway / US 22 and Mall Drive
Monroeville, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh's Don-Mark Realty, who developed the city's SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE MALL in the mid-1960s, set their sites on an east side tract after SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE was completed. Encompassing 280 acres, the Harper's Mine parcel was located 9.9 miles east of center city Pittsburgh's "Golden Triangle." The site was within the city limits of suburban Monroeville.

A fully-enclosed retail complex was designed by Walter Heumann and Don Morganelli, with the firm of Hoffman, Loeffler & Wolfe signing on as project architects. Grading work at the site commenced in 1966, with construction on the 30 million dollar MONROEVILLE MALL getting underway in 1967.

The shopping hub was dedicated May 13, 1969. There was a short ice skating exhibition and ribbon cutting, with music provided by the Gateway High School Band. Opening along with the shopping center were a 2-level (200,000 square foot), Gimbels-Pittsburgh and 2-level (210,400 square foot) J.C. Penney. A 2-level (160,300 square foot), Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Company began business August 28, 1969.

The bi-level shopping facility encompassed 1,014,800 leasable square feet and contained 125 stores and services. Charter tenants included Reizenstein's, Baker's Shoes, House of Nine, Lerner Shops, DeRoy Jewelers, Singer Sewing Center, National Record Mart, Chandler's Shoes, Peck & Peck, Hughes & Hatcher, The Fabric Tree, Sweet William Restaurant, A Shop Called East and a G.C. Murphy 5 & 10.

A 110,200 square foot store strip, known as The ANNEX SHOPS, was situated along the south rim of the parking area. It housed an A & P supermarket, So-Fro Fabrics, US Post Office and liquor store among its fifteen tenant spaces.  

The first movie theater at the complex, the Jerry Lewis Monroeville Mall Cinemas, was a northwestern outparcel. This twin venue opened in 1971 and was soon renamed the Monroeville Mall Twin. It was expanded into a 4-screen operation and re-opened, as the Cinemette Theatres Monroeville Mall 4, on August 29, 1973. 

On the Lower Level of the original mall was the Ice Palace, an indoor ice arena promoted as "a new rink-le in shopping". The shopping concourse also included a lava rock waterfall and several pond areas with bridged crossings.

In the Town Square Court, facing Gimbels, was the 32-foot-high Clock of Nations. It was designed by Los Angeles' Gere Kavanaugh, who had also envisaged the Clock of Nations at Rochester, New York's MIDTOWN PLAZA. The clock at MONROEVILLE MALL had twelve animated puppets. Each gave a show on the hour, with all twelve performing simultaneously twice a day. In the Fountain Square Court, facing Horne's, was a circular fountain surrounded by a large seating area. 

Shopping hubs in the MONROEVILLE MALL trade area included EASTLAND MALL (1973-2007) {3.7 miles southwest, in Allegheny County}, CENTURY III MALL (1979) { 9.7 miles southwest, in West Mifflin} and ROSS PARK MALL (1986) {13.5 miles northwest, also in Allegheny County}.

MONROEVILLE MALL was first renovated in the early 1980s. The Ice Palace, considered passe' by this time, was shuttered and rebuilt as the Treats Food Court. This 15-bay culinary complex was dedicated November 17, 1984. It included a glass elevator that resembled a British "telephone box" (or "phone booth" as we say across the pond).

Further renovations were completed a few years years later. Gimbels, shuttered August 23, 1986, was expanded with a third level. The store now encompassed 262,000 square feet. It re-opened, as a Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's, on August 13, 1987.  Between January and August 1987, the interior of the mall was also refurbished. The Gimbels / Kaufmann's Court was remodeled, with its Clock of Nations dismantled. New ceilings, skylights and landscaping were installed.

The complex was rededicated with a Monroeville Mall Mardis Gras event held concurrently with the Kaufmann's grand opening.  A few months later, the Horne's store was rededicated. It had been expanded with a third level, enlarging it to 240,400 square feet. Additional sales area was also added to the ANNEX SHOPS, which now housed a Burlington Coat Factory. 

In late 1998, the Monroeville 4 multiplex was shuttered and demolished. It was replaced by a new Best Buy, which opened for business October 5, 1999. The next major change at MONROEVILLE MALL involved the Horne's store, which had been rebranded as a Columbus-based Lazarus on October 1, 1994. The store morphed into a Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and became a bona fide Macy's on February 1, 2005.

As a result of the 2005 May-Federated merger, the Kaufmann's chain ceased to exist. Macy's was already operating a store at MONROEVILLE MALL by this time. Kaufmann's was converted into a Reading, Pennsylvania-based Boscov's on August 26, 2006. This store would be in operation until October 2008, when it was shuttered along with ten "underperforming" Boscov's locations.

Meanwhile, a new mall proprietor had come on the scene. Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties purchased MONROEVILLE MALL in July 2004. A lifestyle expansion, tentatively known as THE VILLAGE, was under construction at the mall's North Entrance. Renamed THE DISTRICT AT MONROEVILLE MALL, the 80,000 square foot addition was dedicated June 17, 2005. Open-air in format, it housed tenants such as Coldwater Creek, Jos. A. Bank, Ulta Beauty and a (26,000 square foot) Barnes & Noble.

As THE DISTRICT was being completed, a 10 million dollar mall renovation was also performed. With all work completed, MONROEVILLE MALL, THE DISTRICT and THE ANNEX housed a total of 1,466,400 leasable square feet, with a tenant list of over 180 stores and services.

The vacant Boscov's was renovated and re-opened, as a new J.C. Penney, on September 28, 2012. This downsized Penney's occupied the second and third floors of the building and encompassed 110,000 square feet. The original Penney's was gutted. The majority of its area became the state-of-the-art Cinemark Monroeville Mall 12, which showed its first features November 7, 2013. The first floor of the old Penney's had been refashioned into a (20,000 square foot) H & M, which debuted September 12, 2013.

Meanwhile, the first floor of the old Boscov's was rebuilt into a (54,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods. This store, a relocation of an existing ANNEX SHOPS location, held its official grand opening on August 3, 2014. J.C. Penney shuttered their downsized store in late 2020.

Sources:

The Pittsburgh Press
http://www.cinematreasures.org
www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
"Monroeville Mall" article on Wikipedia

FAIR USE OF MONROEVILLE MALL IMAGES

The graphics and photos from the Pittsburgh Press, Laurel Group Incorporated / United Film Distribution Company and CBL & Associates Properties illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The graphics and photos are of lower resolution than the originals (copies made from them would be of inferior quality). The images are not replaceable with free-use or public domain images. The use of the graphics and photos do not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for informational purposes only, and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.

In this feature, we strive to present a quick history of the Shopping Mall Cinema. While it is not possible to include every single relevant detail, the most important aspects will -hopefully- receive mention.

Our story, which primarily unfolds during the Post-World War II years, had its beginnings in the silent film era of the 1920s. At this time, America's emerging car culture was spawning the first auto-oriented, suburban-style shopping centers. It was inevitable that the paths of the movie house and prototype shopping center would meet at some point.

The Great Depression, and a global conflict, delayed the shift of American commerce and cinematic entertainment from central city to suburb. Soon after the war ended, several new-fangled shopping centers were built  "out of town," with a few of these including a movie theater.

At this time, the Hollywood film industry was entering a period of decline that would continue for a decade or more. The reasons for the slump were many. First off, many soldiers returning from the war were using GI Bill funding to further their education. Cracking the books left little time for leisure activities such as going to a movie. Secondly, a government anti-trust action, in 1948, mandated the separation of motion picture studios from the various chains of company-operated theaters.

Lastly, the advent of commercial television made it possible to receive video entertainment, for free, in the comfort of one's own home. These events left the grand downtown movie palaces of the early 1900s nearly abandoned.

At the end of World War II, as America embarked upon an unprecedented period of economic growth and expansion, the movie industry was in the midst of a slump. Ticket sales fell dramatically between 1946 and 1956. To try and buck this trend, several widescreen formats were developed. Cinerama debuted in 1952, followed by CinemaScope, VistaVision and Todd-AO.

*Cinerama. The first widescreen process was introduced with the September 30, 1952 showing of  the Cinerama Releasing Corporation's "This Is Cinerama." Originally, three cameras, three synchronized projectors and a huge, curved screen were used. At first, existing theaters were converted to the Cinerama format. 

By the 1960s, a single projector  had been perfected. Cinerama-capable venues were built at shopping centers such as WINROCK CENTER {Albuquerque, New Mexico} and SHARPSTOWN CENTER {Houston, Texas} in the 1960s. The final Cinerama theater, at SOUTHCENTER MALL {Tukwila, Washington}, was dedicated in April 1970.

*CinemaScope. This widescreen process premiered, on September 16, 1953, with Twentieth Century Fox's "The Robe." CinemaScope used a single camera, projector and an anamorphic lens to produce a widescreen image. A wider screen was also necessary for CinemaScope features.

*VistaVision. Paramount Pictures' brand of widescreen film presentation made its debut with the first showing of "White Christmas," on October 14, 1954. VistaVision also used a single camera (with modifications), a single projector and a screen wider than the conventional model.

*Todd-AO. The fourth major widescreen format of the 1950s was developed by Michael Todd and the American Optical Company. It premiered October 11, 1955 with Twentieth Century Fox's "Oklahoma." This format utilized a wider film negative (70mm) than that used for Cinerama, CinemaScope and VistaVision (whose films were shot on conventional 35mm filmstock). Theatrical presentation of Todd-AO required a single projector and widened movie screen.


See Fair Use Disclaimer at end of article

The following innovations were also devised to compete with the small-screen television medium;

*3-D. The first practical showing of a three-dimensional film took place on November 30, 1952, with the premier of Arch Oboler Productions' "Bwana Devil." The 3-D process created the illusion of depth perception, via two projectors equipped with special polarizing filters and the disposable "anaglyph" glasses worn by viewers.

*Stereophonic Sound. Walt Disney Studio's "Fantasia" premiered with a stereo soundtrack on November 13, 1940. However, it was the September 1952 showing of "This Is Cinerama" that introduced the first practical application of a stereo motion picture soundtrack.

A diagram showing the configuration of a circa-1952 Cinerama-equipped auditorium. The first practical widescreen format, it utilized three cameras, three projectors and a large, curved screen. Obviously, there were problems inherent in trying to keep three projectors synchronized. A film break in one could spell disaster!
Drawing from Wikipedia / "AndyJ"

Hollywood's attempt at besting the small screen TV format included the much-ballyhooed premier of so-called 3-D movies. The first 3-D flick, "Bwana Devil,"  hit the silver screen in late 1952.
Graphic from Wikipedia / "PhilbertGray"


The 3-D process, which gave the illusion of depth perception, was accomplished by disposable, cardboard "anaglyph glasses," which were worn by the audience.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Snaily"


The pairing of movie house and shopping center in America began in the 1920s and progressed slowly through the Depression-plagued 1930s. When global hostilities drew to a close in 1945, construction was already underway on Washington State's BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE, which would become the nation's first post-war shopping center.

An original SHOPPING SQUARE tenant, the Bel-Vue Theatre, showed its first feature in March 1946. The Holiday Theatre, at Chicagoland's PARK FOREST COMMERCIAL CENTER (PARK FOREST PLAZA), opened for business in October 1950. Over in Connecticut, Stamford's Ridgeway Theatre, at RIDGEWAY CENTER, entertained its first patrons in August 1951. A cinema was also added to San Diego's LINDA VISTA PLAZA in the early '50s.

America's very first Shopping Center Cinema dates back to the silent film era. It opened, in October 1928, at Kansas City, Missouri's COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA.


Janet Gaynor topped the bill in "Street Angel,", which was the very first motion picture shown at the Plaza.


This Spanish Colonial motif movie house was eventually replaced by Palace On the Plaza, a 14-screen megaplex, which showed its first features in May 1999. With its theatrical tenure over, the original venue was reconfigured as a Restoration Hardware store.

The nation's second Shopping Center Cinema was located in Greater Dallas' HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE.



The first feature presentation at The Village Theatre, "The Dark Angel," starred Frederic March and Merle Oberon.


The grand opening advert for Greater Dallas' Village Theatre. It was added to the existing HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE in 1935. The oft-renovated cinema was shuttered in October 2021. It was repurposed as retail store space in 2023.
Advert from http://www.flickr.com / Mike Rivest

Three New Deal-era garden suburbs were built between 1935 and 1940. These planned cities were developed on the outskirts of Washington, DC, Cincinnati and Milwaukee. Each had a suburban, car culture shopping center as its defacto downtown. The city centers in Greenbelt {Maryland} and Greendale {Wisconsin} included movie theaters.


The Greenbelt Theater made its debut with a showing of  "Little Miss Broadway." This Twentieth Century Fox vehicle starred Shirley Temple and Jimmy Durante.


The first feature shown at Greendale Theatre was MetroGoldwynMayer's "Out West With The Hardys," with Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone and Fay Holden.


Both "greentown" theatres were originally run by co-operatives that had been formed by residents of each community.


The Greendale hadn't been in operation for very long when this photo was taken. The film on the marquee, "The Kid from Texas," was in its theatrical run during mid-1939.
Photo from Library of Congress / John Vachon

Another planned community was built on the outskirts of Oklahoma City during World War II. The defacto downtown of Midwest City was ATKINSON PLAZA, a moderne-style strip center. One of its original tenants was the Skytrain Theatre. 


The Skytrain was in business for nearly 30 years. It was eventually demolished, along with the rest of the historic mid-century shopping facility, in 2003.



In this 1947 snapshot, "Good News," a MetroGoldwynMayer production, is the feature Skytrain presentation. The film starred June Alyson and Peter Lawford.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com / White Chipmunk's Photostream / Atkinson Heritage Center

Bellevue, Washington's Bel-Vue Theatre holds the distinction of being America's first Post-World War II Shopping Center Cinema.


The venue, which was built as part of the BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE development, held its gala grand opening in early 1946.

The Holiday Theatre, at Chicagoland's PARK FOREST COMMERCIAL CENTER (PARK FOREST PLAZA), opened in late 1950.


The Holiday's first presentation, "Tight Little Island," was a 1949 British production. The film, known in the UK as "Whisky Galore," was renamed for its stateside release. It starred Basil Radford and Bruce Seton.

Another post-war Shopping Center Cinema was the Ridgeway Theatre, at Stamford, Connecticut's RIDGEWAY CENTER.


On the opening night bill at The Ridgeway was "Flying Leathernecks," a World War II action picture. It starred John Wayne and Robert Ryan.


Now we enter the realm of the shopping mall and its many cinematic variations. America's first suburban-style shopping mall, Seattle, Washington's NORTHGATE CENTER, was officially dedicated in April 1950.

A year-and-a-half after its grand opening, NORTHGATE CENTER added a mall-connected motion picture theater, which could now be viewed as the nation's very first Shopping Mall Cinema. In the next month, Greater Boston's SHOPPERS' WORLD followed suit with its own "mall movie house."

Our nation's first (quote-unquote) Shopping Mall Cinema opened for business in September 1951, at Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER.


Like the mall it was connected with, the Northgate Theatre was designed using a Native American motif. In those pre-pc days, its restrooms were labeled "Braves" and "Squaws." One of its other features was a large baby crying room.

"Take Care of My Little Girl" was a Technicolor drama about a college sorority. It starred Jeanne Crain and Mitzi Gaynor. 

Above, we see the promotional poster for the film.
Graphic from Wikipedia / "MovieFan"

America's second Shopping Mall Cinema was located at Framingham, Massachusetts' SHOPPERS' WORLD complex.


The Framingham Cinema at Shoppers' World made it's debut a week after the grand opening of the Northgate Theatre in Washington State. The first film presented at the SHOPPERS' WORLD venue starred Fred MacMurray and Eleanor Parker.

In this vintage view of the SHOPPERS' WORLD mall, the single-screen Framingham Cinema is seen on the left
Photo From Framingham News / October 1951

At this juncture, it might help to differentiate between the two types of Shopping Mall Cinema models utilized by developers during the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

The first type of Shopping Mall Cinema will be referred to as an At-Mall theater. It could be built as a freestanding structure in the periphery of the mall or be constructed as part of the structure, with no direct connection into the shopping concourse. Northgate Theatre {Seattle, Washington} and Framingham Cinema {Framingham, Massachusetts} would fit this model.

The second type of Shopping Mall Cinema will be referred to as an In-Mall type. As its name implies, the In-Mall cinema was incorporated directly into a mall and had a direct connection to the shopping concourse...be it open-air or fully-enclosed. The Northland Cinema, at Columbus, Ohio's NORTHLAND CENTER, would be an example of this type of movie theater.

We submit for your approval our first example of a so-called At-Mall cinema. Northgate Theatre, at Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER, was a part of the open-air mall's physical structure, but was not accessible from its "Miracle Mall" shopping concourse.


Towne Theatre, at Greater Philadelphia's LEVITTOWN SHOP-A-RAMA, was built as part of the shopping center's second construction phase. A third would follow. This At-Mall venue was built as a freestanding structure in the mall's periphery.


Towne Theatre showed its first feature, Twentieth Century Fox's "River of No Return," in June 1954. The film starred Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum.
Photo from http://www.boxoffice.com / "Tinseltoes"


Above, we have a representation of one of (if not) the first In-Mall cinemas in America. It was a charter tenant in New Jersey's CHERRY HILL CENTER, which held its grand opening in October 1961. The theatre, dedicated in April 1962, was entered from the fully-enclosed shopping concourse.


The Northland Cinema, at Columbus, Ohio's NORTHLAND CENTER, also opened directly onto the shopping concourse. The open-air mall and its movie house commenced operation in August 1964.