Pittsburgh Mills stores

[Georgia Mannerino]

I am disappointed in the shopping at the Pittsburgh Mills. There are many vacancies in the Mall and many of the stores look like they are temporary.

Any news on new stores opening?

[Tippi]

I don't know whats wrong there, Zamias hasn't made the right changes and I worry that the whole thing will be abandoned.

Sears Grand, Dress Barn, Brooks Brothers, and Foot Locker are never busy. I've heard Borders is not happy with their sales. Yet the place is jammed packed. Last evening, you could hardly walk it was so busy.

The people are there but there isn't anywhere to spend their money.

[Carole Brennan]

There are too many specialty shops at the Mills. Tippi is right: go there anytime and you will find many people walking around, but few in the stores making a purchase. How about a Joanne Fabric, a TJ or Marshall's, a Pet Smart or other such stores? Just how many personalized T-shirts, high-priced jewelry, or Christmas items can one buy?

[Georgia Mannarino]

Carol, I think you hit the nail on the head. No one is buying because they don't need any of the merchandise that is being sold there. I like the idea of Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Loehmans and other discounters.

I was there again this afternoon and I noticed the GUESS store was empty. Its been remodeled but looks like a mess on the inside. Also, I notice there was a church in the mall. We have perfectly good churches in our towns and don't need them where we shop.

Plus the trinket stores like Antitem Gallery and Jackson Hole are downright tacky. We deserve better!!!! How about a Chicos, JJill, White House or Talbott's for women of a certain age? I think a gadget store like Brookstone or Sharper Image would work also. Anything but those tacky temporary stores!!! Let's hope they can turn it around!!!

[Janice]

I work at the Mills and I can tell you this. The store I work at is only a year and a half old and our business has really picked up. We are doing great. When the Mills was sold it was in January of '07. The companies had already set their plans for the year. We all to wait unles until'08 to see what happens. Ross For Less is opening in Ovt. Having been to their stores I cannot wait for this to happen.Give it a chance and we will all be happy with the Mills.

[Georgia Mannarino]

Janice, I hope you are right. Its seems like the outparcels are doing great. I was at the Mills today and the number of empty storefronts was appaling. There were burned out lights in many of the ceiling fixtures in the mall and the place looked like the pictures you see of dead malls.

I understand the length of time it takes to plan a new store but I think many of the existing stores won't last until Zamias can turn the place around.

[Georgia Mannarino]

I do hope Janice is right but I wonder how much of a chance people will take on a property that hasn't been filled since it opened 2 years ago.

I went to dinner at one of the restaurants in the mall last week and the server asked me if I was going shopping afterward. I said we came out for dinner only and she said " I wouldn't shop at this mall since its too weird".

Even the workers think the situation is strange. I think we've waited so long for a mall and we only got some poor imitation of one. I do hope it improves but the drive to Monroeville Mall is looking better each day. Its got better stores--J Jill, White House, and other higher quality stores. I hope Janice is right and I'll continue to go to restaurants and the book store at the Mills but the rest of the stores are awful.

[Janice]

I do have to agree with everyone that most of the stores cannot wait forever to start during business around. There will be more stores leaving by Jan. 2008 as the rent is going up! Bob Millers Shoe Store is going in and tow other stores that I do not know the names of. I do hope you stop in at Ross For Less. I have bought clothes there adntheir prices are great. Let's all hope for the best. Our area has waited to long for it to fail.

[Alwanda]

I think, personally, they should turn that mall into a high end gallery. Put stores like Armani, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada in there and people would flock. These high end type stores are not served in Pittsburgh. Most other cities get these stores, but not us. I'm tired of having to go out of state or to philly to get luxury items.

[Nick]

I live in Sharon so I really enjoy coming down to the 'Burgh for a nice day of shopping and eating.

I went to the Galleria shortly after they first opened, and of course a lot of store fronts were still being built and weren't opened yet....and that was TWO years ago.

I was thinking of going again this weekend with my wife and son, but if it still is not a happening place maybe we'll just go to the Ross Park Mall, which we really like anyway.

Plus the Taj Mahal restaurant is right across the street and my son wants to go there for dinner anyway. So we'll probably go to Ross Park.

The Galleria could be a great place, but apparently from what I'm reading here, it still is not THE place to go.

[Georgia Mannarino]

I went for my first time last Saturday after hearing so much about it. It was awful. What's with that store selling ugly furniture or the big men's bargain mart. The Pittsburgh Mills is a disgrace.

Zamias is a small time operator that doesn't have the clout to get good stores. The mall doesn't even have usual stores--Gap, Limited, Hollister, let alone more upscale stores. I think its a big boondoggle and the taxpayers are paying for it through TIFs for road improvements.

Don't waste your time even Northway Mall is better!

[parkbench]

I have a different perspective. I think it is sad that so many of the commenters are simply comparing shopping at one mall to another, rather than considering mall shopping and main street shopping.

I think the stores at the Galleria are good. In some cases there are better stores on the communities' main streets or shopping plazas.

But with gas expected to go over $3 a gallon, it would be laughable for someone in Tarentum to think of driving to Monroeville or Northway or Ross Park just to shop at a mall that is a carbon copy of a hundred other malls across the country. "The usual stores" are not necessarily equal to "good stores."

I am actually disappointed with the dining at the outparcels. Why would anybody want to endure the horrible wait and service for an over-priced meal at the Olive Garden when Elena's in Lower Burrell is available? Why eat at an over-priced Hollywood fantasy diner like Johnny Rockets when an actual restored 50's diner is available at the Gatto Cycle Diner in Tarentum?

[Georgia Mannarino]

Parkbench--

You base your argument on better stores on Main Streets but then give the example of restaurants. I would rather eat where the food is best. Just like I would like to shop where the selection and service are best.

I have not had great luck with local stores. I just bought a mattress. Tried to buy it at the new mattress store in downtown New Kensington but they were never open. I ended up going to Macys.

I think you would be hard pressed to buy clothing from local merchants. If I wore mens suits, I would try local stores like Bartolacci or the men's store next to Sparkle Clearners in LB. Those may be the only locally owned clothing stores left in the AK Valley. Don't castigate people until you think through your arguement better.

[parkbench]

Tippi,

You sound like a sensible shopper, so I don't think we are that far apart. In some cases I think there are better choices on Main Street, but in some cases the Galleria has better stores. I just don't think that the fact that the Galleria is not a carbon copy of other malls is a bad thing.

You didn't say where you ultimately got the mattress. Did you go to a Macy's at Ross Park or Monroeville? Or did you take the short drive from New Kensington to the Macy's in the Galleria -- the mall you described as not having anywhere people can spend their money -- and spend your money there?

Thanks for the suggestions of local men's clothing stores. I haven't had to go clothes shopping in a while, and will probably check those places out, knowing that the Galleria is still available if my first shopping trips don't succeed.

[Mills Visitor]

We traveled from the Central Pennsylvania area to shop at Pittsburgh Mills when it first opened. It was exciting and of course not all the stores were opened yet. How sad when we re-visited the mall to find about 50% of the stores vacant with large tacky signs hanging around, poor maintenance, etc. WHAT HAPPENED? Just to clue you in, Zamias has let his other properties decay in the Johnstown area as well. He owns the Galleria Mall plus several plazas. The Galleria Mall in Johnstown kept losing stores due to high rent. Finally some new ones are moving in. People have been complaining about their management of the local mall for years. Only recently has any action been taken to attract some new stores so I guess there is hope. We'll see what happens here. As for Pittsburgh Mills, the location is great and the outparcel development seems to be bustling. Surely Zamias can get stores to move in to that mall which could be one of the hottest properties in the Pittsburgh region and a regional draw for shoppers. Maybe some of the stores people go to are in EVERY mall for a reason.. because they obviously draw shoppers to those stores and can afford to put locations in every mall so let's not discount them out of the tenant mix. As for restaurants, I know there are probably good restaurants in little towns along the river but I'm not from the area so I'll eat where it's convenient to the mall as to not get lost and chain restaurants do give a consistent product. We had a fantastic meal at Olive Garden just last week so they do have something going for them also.

[Mills Shopper]

I like the Mills because of its convenience, but I agree as far as the choices. We need a Kohl's or something as well as a toy store. Where is the contract with Toy-R-Us. All of us with kids are forced to shop at Wal-mart or travel. Get on the ball...Christmas is coming. I love the idea of Joann's, TJ Maxx, etc. With 2 small kids, I do not want to have to drive out of my way. I hope all improves soon...

[Janice]

I truly expected a change for the better to happen by now with Zamias as one of the new owners but, the only changes are outside of the Mall.
We now have Ross Dress For Less, Michaels, Famous Footwear and Catherine's coming soon. I don't have to go to the Mall now that these three stores have opened. All I have heard is how many people have had their hours cut at the Service Desk etc. After the new year when the rent will be once again raised, what will be left?

[Syl Dante]

I heard a rumor that the Sears Grand was closing in early January after the Christmas sales. I am not too happy with the Zamias' management--all they can do is rent to tired old Miller's shoes.

The whole mall is a joke. There is no comparison to Monroeville or other Pittsburgh area malls. It's a dead mall and nothing could resurrect it! We should just stop going and let it die.

[shopoholic]

Growing up in the Allekiski Valley, I was really excited to hear that a Mall was finally going to happen. Noting, that it was being built by the same corporation that built the Concord Mills Mall on Speedway Blvd in Concord, NC; I figured it would be of the same quality. Boy was I wrong.
Someone needs to take a que from the surrounding Malls in the area, note the hustle and bustle at Monroeville Mall, Ross Park, Grove City Outlets, Robinson Twn, Century Three, etc. This is what people want in shopping, this is what makes people return, and what makes retailers stay.

[Angelique]

I was there last evening (Saturday) and it was embarrassing. It was filled with people but the empty storefronts were everywhere. It seems like they removed many of the displays in the windows of the vacant store fronts which made the situation worse. Chef Steff's restaurant is closed and it looks like the Sears, Wet Seal, and Brooks Brothers are about to close because they have no customers.

We waited this long to have access to shopping and because the mall has fallen into the hands of a second-rate developer, it has failed. Lots of people but nothing to buy. It is a dead mall as Syl Dante says. Its a shame because our tax dollars are paying for improvements and these Zamias folks can't even give us a first-rate shopping experience. I'm going to Ross Park from now on.