Coventry Mall

Coventry Mall is a shopping mall in North Coventry Township, Pennsylvania (Pottstown, Pennsylvania). It is located at the interchange of Route 100 and Route 724. The mall is anchored by Boscov's, Kohl's, Gabe's, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Coventry Mall
LocationNorth Coventry Township, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40.2356°N 75.6621°W / 40.2356; -75.6621
Opening date1967
DeveloperKurt Rostan and Seymour A. Friedman[1]
ManagementPennmark Management Co.
OwnerPennmark Management Co.
No. of stores and services50
No. of anchor tenants4[2]
Total retail floor area802,275 sq ft (74,534 m2)[3]
No. of floors1 (2 in Boscov's)
ParkingParking lot
Public transit access PART bus: Purple Line, Orange Line
Websitecoventry-mall.com

History

Opened as The Norco Mall in October, 1967, it featured Sears, Britt's Department Store (later Hess's[4]), and Thrift Drug as anchors as well as thirteen smaller retail stores.[5] In 1974 the original open-air plan was enclosed and expanded to include a new anchor store, J.M. Fields, a two-plex movie theater operated by the Fox Theatres chain, and more than a dozen new retail spaces.[6] In 1982 the mall underwent further expansion and a name change to Coventry Mall. J. M. Fields closed and became Jefferson Ward in 1978, and later Bradlees in 1985. After Bradlees closed, it was subdivided between Ross Dress for Less and Dick's Sporting Goods, the former of which closed in 2014. A Pomeroy's department store was added in 1985.[7] In 1987, this store became a Bon-Ton when that chain bought Pomeroy's; in 1993, it became Boscov's[8] and now has 2 floors and rooftop parking (the latter of which has since been closed to the public). In 1987, a larger 8-plex movie theater was built outside the mall;[9] the old theater was then converted into a food court.

Hess's sold most of its stores to The Bon-Ton in 1994, but was unable to complete a deal with Bon-Ton on the Coventry Mall store.[8] It instead became JCPenney for a short time,[10] then The Bon-Ton, before finally becoming Kohl's in 2004. That same year, Stoltz Real Estate Partners acquired the mall from The Goodman Co.[11]

Sears closed in April 2012.[12] Mall owner Coventry Retail LP failed to make payments for the property and Jones Lang LaSalle became the receiver of the mall in March 2013. On September 19, 2013, the mall was sold at auction to U.S. Bank National Association for $49.5 million. Jones Lang LaSalle continued as the receiver and manager of the mall.[13] In December 2014, Limerick Furniture opened in the former Sears location.[14]

On April 8, 2016, the Coventry Mall was sold to Pennmark Management Co., who plans on improving the mall by filling vacancies with new stores and restaurants.[15] Gabe's, an off-priced retail store, opened on March 18, 2017 in a 45,000-square foot space previously occupied by Sears.[2] On May 10, 2018, Jo-Ann, which had up to that point been on an outparcel, opened a 14,310-square foot store in the mall proper.[16]

References
  1. "Singer plans store for Norco Plaza". The Mercury. January 29, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  2. Rovins, Donna (March 16, 2017). "New anchor store - Gabe's - opening Saturday at Coventry Mall". The Mercury. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  3. "Coventry Mall Leasing Brochure" (PDF). Stoltz Management Corporation. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  4. "Stroudsburg, despite a Hess's mall, has hope". The Mercury. Pottstown, PA. October 26, 1977. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  5. Pottstown Mercury, September 14, 1967
  6. Pottstown Mercury February 21, 1973
  7. "Pomeroy's to open in Coventry Mall". Reading Eagle. June 16, 1983. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  8. Salerno, Allison (September 23, 1994). "Hess's Sale Might Speed Up". The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  9. "650 W Schuylkill Rd Pottstown PA 19465 Property Record & Valuation | Real Estate & Homes For Sale". www.xome.com. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  10. Blakinger, Mary (October 8, 1995). "Coventry Mall Seeks A New Anchor In Penneys Merchants Said The Retailer Would Help Draw Shoppers. It Would Fill The Spot Left By Hess's". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  12. Metz, Gretchen (December 29, 2011). "Two Sears in region on closing list". Daily Local News. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  13. Rovins, Donna (September 19, 2013). "Coventry Mall sold at auction for $49.5M, will remain open". The Mercury. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  14. "Limerick Furniture to occupy struggling malls' empty spaces". WFMZ-TV. October 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  15. Rovins, Donna (April 8, 2016). "Coventry Mall sale completed; new owner plans upgrades". The Mercury. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  16. "JoAnn Store Grand Opening Today In Pottstown". The Post. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
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