Laurel Mall (Pennsylvania)

Laurel Mall is a shopping mall which opened in 1973 just northwest of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It features two current anchor stores, Boscov's and Dunham's Sports. TJ Maxx is a junior anchor. 10-theater Regal Cinemas and Aldi are outparcels. The previously vacant Kmart anchor store was remodeled in 2020 and is now a Hobby Lobby and Planet Fitness, both of which have external entrances only (the mall entrance has been walled off). The mall is managed by Lexington Realty.

Laurel Mall
Boscov's wing, February 2015
LocationHazle Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40.98419°N 76.01670°W / 40.98419; -76.01670
Address106 Laurel Mall Road
Opening date1973[1]
DeveloperAssociates of the Eighties[1]
ManagementLexington Realty International
No. of stores and services60
No. of anchor tenants3
Total retail floor area610,000 square feet (57,000 m2)[2]
No. of floors1 (2 in Boscov's)
Public transit access HPT bus: 10, 90, 95, 100, 110
Websitethelaurelmall.com
Entrance to Laurel Mall, February 2015

History

Opened in 1973, the mall was developed by Associates of the Eighties. It initially featured two anchor stores: Zayre at the west end, and "Fowler, Dick, and Walker, the Boston Store" at the east end. Original tenants included GNC, Hickory Farms, Karmelkorn, Waldenbooks, Rea & Derrick Drugstore, and an A&P supermarket,[1] of which only GNC remains and moved within the mall in 2016.[3] Boscov's took over the Fowler, Dick & Walker store in 1981,[4] and Zayre sold to Ames in 1989.[5]

Construction of a new wing anchored by JCPenney began in 1993.[6] Also that year, the Ames store closed and began conversion to a Kmart,[7] which opened in September 1994.[8] Boscov's expanded by 52,800 square feet (4,910 m2) in 1994,[4] and the mall interior was renovated with skylights and new flooring.[8] McCrory Stores closed at the mall in 1995.[9] One year later, Ben Franklin Crafts replaced it.[10] The space is now Old Navy. A Hoyts movie theater opened next to the mall in 1998.[11]

In July 2005, the mall was sold by PREIT to Laurel Mall, LLC for $33.5 million, including assumed debt of $22.6 million.[12] In August 2008, radio station WBHT sponsored a performance by the boy band Menudo at Laurel Mall.[13] On January 15, 2014, it was announced that the JCPenney store would be closing as part of a plan to close 33 locations nationwide.[14] In 2014 Laurel Mall, LLC changed management companies from LMS Realty to Lexington Realty International.[15] On May 6, 2015, it was announced that Dunham's Sports would be opening in the former JCPenney space. It opened on October 16, 2015.[16] In August 2016, a marketing manager claimed 96.6 percent capacity, and construction was underway for TJ Maxx to "take up almost the entire northwest corner of the mall" in November.[3] Sears Holdings announced in January 2018 that it would be closing 64 Kmart stores, including the one at Laurel Mall in early April 2018.[17]

References
  1. "Ground is broken for construction of A&P supermarket at area's new Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 3 May 1973. p. 6.
  2. "Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust Announces Agreement to Sell Laurel Mall" (Press release). Business Wire. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  3. Dino, Jim (August 12, 2016). "Laurel Mall to welcome restaurant, 4 stores". Standard~Speaker. Retrieved October 13, 2016. The mall's last original store, GNC Nutrition, is moving from the location it has called home since the mall opened
  4. "Boscov's hustled to finish renovation". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 11 October 1994.
  5. Dino, Jim (28 July 1989). "Zayre department store to become Ames by Nov. 1". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. p. 17.
  6. "Ground-breaking Friday for J.C. Penney wing at Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 18 August 1993. p. 17.
  7. "New Kmart store to replace Ames at Laurel Mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 17 December 1993.
  8. "Laurel Mall moves into a new era". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 27 January 1995. p. 17.
  9. Conrad, Ed (27 January 1995). "Laurel Mall McCrory's to close". Hazleton Standard-Speaker.
  10. Dino, Jim (4 December 1996). "Craft store coming to mall". Hazleton Standard-Speaker.
  11. "After 25 years, Laurel Mall is still growing". Hazleton Standard-Speaker. 25 June 1998.
  12. "Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust 2006 Annual Report". docstoc.com. PREIT. April 12, 2007. p. 45. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  13. "Menudo Live!". 97bht.com. Citadel Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  14. "Here's A List Of The J.C. Penney Stores That Are Closing". The Huffington Post. January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  15. "2014: A day-by-day look back". The Standard Speaker. Hazleton, Pennsylvania. December 28, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2015. [June] 24: The president of Lexington Realty International, the Laurel Mall's new management firm, said he's confident the mall will reach 100 percent occupancy within two years. Alan Retkinski also disclosed that in early 2015 two 'national retailers' will fill the former JCPenney space and a new restaurant will occupy the former Ground Round.
  16. https://www.wnep.com/mobile/article/news/local/luzerne-county/dunhams-sports-moving-into-laurel-mall/523-081e5472-c1e5-4b1a-aa84-b1ee3418c61e
  17. "Kmart at Laurel Mall to close". Standard-Speaker. January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
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