Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem Township, PA: The Rise, The Fall, The Future

The Last Echoes of a Shopping Empire

A neon “Open” sign flickers at the entrance of a pretzel stand, its glow barely reaching the empty corridor ahead.

The hum of an escalator fills the silence, even though no one is riding it. Near the food court, a janitor leans on his mop, staring at the shuttered gates of what used to be Macy’s.

This was once a place where crowds moved in waves, hands full of shopping bags, kids tugging their parents toward the arcade.

Now, it’s different. The echoes linger, but the voices are gone.

Neshaminy Mall opened in 1968, built by The Korman Company and Strouse Greenberg at a cost of $24 million.

The idea was simple: create a shopping experience that felt like an event, a destination for families in Bensalem Township.

Anchored by Sears and Strawbridge & Clothier, the mall stood as a retail landmark along U.S. Route 1, drawing shoppers from across Bucks County.

Over the years, its footprint expanded—Lit Brothers arrived in 1975, bringing a new wing of stores with it.

The design was more than just storefronts. At the center, a fountain with a waterfall and trees created a quiet retreat from the shopping rush.

A statue of Tawanka, a leader of the Lenni Lenape, stood nearby—a nod to the land’s past.

The name “Neshaminy” itself came from the tribe’s language, a reminder of what existed long before the mall.

By the late ’70s, retail was evolving fast. Lit Brothers closed in 1977, replaced by Pomeroy’s. A decade later, Pomeroy’s became The Bon-Ton.

Things kept moving—until they didn’t. Today, Neshaminy Mall still stands, but it’s a different place. A few stores remain open, and AMC Theatres still draws weekend crowds.

But step into the quiet hallways, past the darkened storefronts, and it’s clear—this mall, like many others, is running out of time.

For visitors looking for things to do north of Philadelphia, the mall isn’t what it once was.

But the past lingers in every corner, in every empty bench where shoppers used to rest, in every locked door where commerce once thrived.

The Mall Boom—Big Brands, Bigger Crowds

A teenager flips through CDs at Sam Goody, the neon signs reflecting in the plastic cases.

Across the hall, the scent of Cinnabon drifts toward the line at KB Toys, where parents clutch holiday shopping lists.

This was the ’90s—when malls weren’t just places to shop; they were where people spent their weekends.

Neshaminy Mall was at its peak, packed with stores that defined the era.

Homart Development Company bought the mall in 1990 for over $50 million. The deal came at a time when shopping centers were at their strongest, and Neshaminy Mall was no exception.

General Growth Properties took over in 1995, bringing renovations that updated the food court and expanded Boscov’s into the space left by The Bon-Ton.

The changes kept shoppers coming, and for a while, it seemed like nothing could slow the momentum.

Then came the entertainment shift. People didn’t just want to shop—they wanted an experience. In 1998, AMC Theatres opened a massive 24-screen complex, a project that cost $11 million.

The theater turned Neshaminy Mall into a weekend destination. Kids lined up for Star Wars marathons, and parents grabbed dinner at Ruby Tuesday before late-night showings.

The seats filled, the parking lot stayed packed, and the mall thrived. Retailers competed for prime spots.

The former pet store near Sears was demolished in 2009 to make way for Barnes & Noble, giving the mall a go-to bookstore at a time when e-readers were still a niche market.

But the industry was shifting. Online shopping was creeping in, and foot traffic, though steady, wasn’t growing the way it once had.

Neshaminy Mall still looked strong, but the cracks had started to form.

The Decline—Closures, Empty Hallways, and a Shifting Market

By 2017, the signs were everywhere—darkened storefronts, empty kiosks, and clearance racks stretching further than usual.

The industry was changing fast, and Neshaminy Mall was losing its place.

The biggest blow came in January of that year when Macy’s announced it was closing 68 stores across the country.

The Neshaminy location was among them, shutting its doors in April. Sears followed, closing in early 2019 after its parent company filed for bankruptcy.

Boscov’s remained, but the departure of two major anchors left the mall exposed, forcing smaller stores to make tough decisions.

National chains started pulling out. Modell’s Sporting Goods closed, as did Foot Locker. Chick-fil-A and Charleys Philly Steaks left the food court, leaving behind blank menu boards and locked doors.

By 2020, more than a third of the mall sat vacant, and the remaining stores struggled to bring in the crowds they once had.

Plans for reinvention surfaced, but the timing was never right.

Round One Entertainment had been in talks to take over the old Sears space, offering bowling, karaoke, and arcade games—something different, something new.

Then, the pandemic hit. The project was scrapped, and Neshaminy Mall slipped further into decline.

Even the Neshaminy Carnival, a long-running event that once filled the parking lot with rides and food trucks, failed to return in 2024.

The mall, once a fixture of suburban life, now faced a reality few had seen coming.

A Neshaminy Mall Reimagined: Sale and Blueprint for Change

A for-sale sign stood at the mall’s main entrance in February 2024, like a final notice.

Neshaminy Mall, once a thriving retail hub, had become a liability. There was too much empty space and too few paying tenants. Brookfield Properties, the owner at the time, had seen enough.

The mall needed a buyer—someone willing to take on a project that wouldn’t just be about filling vacancies but reshaping the entire space.

By July, the deal was done. Paramount Realty Group and Edgewater Properties closed on the purchase for $27.5 million.

The plan wasn’t to revive Neshaminy as a traditional mall—it was to tear half of it down.

Demolition was on the table, and in its place, a mixed-use development would rise—medical offices, new retail, and even residential space.

Shopping malls had fallen out of favor, but lifestyle centers—compact, walkable spaces that blended commerce and convenience—were the new model.

Half of the mall—over 500,000 square feet—faces demolition. In its place, developers envision a mixed-use space where people won’t just shop but live, work, and find essential services.

Residential units are in the works, alongside medical offices and redesigned retail space.

It’s a pivot seen across the country: malls aren’t vanishing, but they aren’t malls anymore.

Some stores would stay. Boscov’s wasn’t going anywhere. AMC Theatres still had a reason to keep its projectors running.

Barnes & Noble, one of the few bookstores still drawing steady customers, would remain.

But the long hallways of shuttered stores, the abandoned food court stalls, the empty anchor spaces—those had no future.

The former Macy’s was already spoken for. Fusion Gyms planned to move in, taking over the three-story space.

The old Sears building had been targeted for medical offices. At the edge of the property, Wawa was planning a new store at the site of the Macy’s parking lot.

Every change pointed to the same conclusion—the mall as it had existed for decades was done.

As of March 2025, plans are still being finalized, with local officials working alongside developers to refine the project.

The vision is clear: Neshaminy Mall isn’t going back to what it was. The question is whether it can become something people need again.