Ross Park Mall is a regional shopping center in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. It opened in August 1986 with anchors Kaufmann’s, Sears, and JCPenney.
A planned Gimbels location never opened after the chain was sold and liquidated, and Horne’s later moved into that space.
Through the 1990s, the anchor lineup stayed stable, with small changes such as a McDonald’s operating inside Sears for several years.
Renovations in 2000 updated lighting, ceilings, entrances, and flooring, and a children’s play area was added near JCPenney.
In 2008, a Nordstrom opened along with a lifestyle addition anchored by Crate & Barrel and L.L.Bean, and luxury retailers joined the tenant list.
Today, the mall has over 160 stores, including Macy’s, Nordstrom, Dick’s House of Sport, and Gucci.
It is owned and managed by Simon Property Group.
Planning and Opening Years (1986–1987)
Ross Park Mall opened in August 1986 in Ross Township, positioned to draw shoppers from Pittsburgh’s northern suburbs.
The original anchors were Kaufmann’s to the south, Sears to the north, and JCPenney on the eastern end.
A planned Gimbels never materialized; the chain’s sale and liquidation left its space empty when the rest of the mall began operating.
The concourses linked the four corners with a mix of regional and national retailers, set against the light-colored tile and glass storefronts common in mid-1980s mall design.
The empty anchor did not stay vacant long.
In 1987, Horne’s relocated into the unoccupied Gimbels space, giving the property a full roster of department stores.
The change shifted the flow of shoppers, pulling more traffic to the northwest side of the building.
Parking fields wrapped the property, with multiple entrances feeding into both ends of the concourse.
The location’s proximity to McKnight Road and Interstate 279 gave it steady visibility.
From its opening, Ross Park Mall used a standard enclosed design, with large anchors at both ends and a run of mid-sized retailers between them.
That initial setup provided the framework for later growth.
Anchor Shifts and New Additions (1987–1999)
Horne’s, Sears, JCPenney, and Kaufmann’s held their original positions, giving the property four strong anchors through the decade.
During this period, one unusual feature appeared inside Sears: from 1987 to 1991, a McDonald’s operated on the first floor near the lawn mower department.
It was one of the few fast-food installations of its kind in a department store, drawing steady foot traffic from shoppers moving between the main concourse and the north parking lot.
The tenant roster in the concourse areas remained largely stable during these years.
National apparel chains and home goods stores occupied most inline spaces.
At the same time, the central areas saw kiosks and seasonal retailers rotate in and out.
The anchor mix provided consistent pull, and the absence of major closures kept vacancy rates low.
Physical changes to the structure were minimal, with the overall layout holding the same shape it had at opening.
Shoppers arriving from nearby neighborhoods used the same entry points year after year, passing the same mix of storefronts on their way to the anchors.
This period cemented the mall’s role as a steady, predictable retail stop in the North Hills, with only small adjustments to tenant mix and no large-scale redevelopment until the next decade.
Renovations and Brand Conversions (2000–2005)
In 2000, Ross Park Mall began a $14 million renovation that updated much of the interior and public areas.
The project replaced ceiling panels, upgraded lighting systems, and installed new flooring across the concourses.
Entrances were rebuilt with modern framing and glass, and a children’s play area was added near JCPenney.
These changes kept the basic footprint intact while altering the visual presentation of the common spaces.
The department store lineup started to shift during this period.
Federated Department Stores acquired Horne’s in 1994 and rebranded the location as Lazarus.
In March 2005, the Lazarus name was replaced with Macy’s signage.
Four months later, Federated purchased the May Department Stores Company, owner of Kaufmann’s.
This acquisition led to Kaufmann’s location at Ross Park converting to Macy’s in 2006.
The result was two Macy’s stores in the same center for a short period.
One occupied the former Lazarus site, and the other continued as the former Kaufmann’s location while future redevelopment plans were announced.
Expansion and Luxury Retail Growth (2006–2010)
In March 2006, Nordstrom confirmed plans to build on the site then occupied by the Macy’s that had previously been Horne’s and Lazarus.
Demolition of the existing building and an adjacent parking structure cleared the way for new construction.
The project was part of a larger expansion that added 65,000 square feet to the mall.
This new section, referred to as a lifestyle addition, was built with exterior-facing storefronts and housed Crate & Barrel and L.L.Bean as anchors.
Nordstrom opened its doors on October 24, 2008.
Alongside it, the expansion brought in higher-end retailers, with Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Kate Spade New York, Coach, and Louis Vuitton joining the tenant list.
The remodel also extended some interior corridors and refreshed finishes to align with the new build.
A small number of restaurants entered the property as part of the addition, broadening the mix beyond fashion and home goods.
The changes introduced a different scale of tenant to Ross Park Mall, with spaces configured for premium brands that had not previously operated in the center.
The remaining original concourses kept their usual tenant mix.
Still, the new section changed how shoppers moved through the mall, pulling more foot traffic toward the newly built west end.
Anchor Closures and Adjustments (2018–2023)
On January 4, 2018, Sears announced it would close after more than thirty years in the same anchor spot.
The departure left one of the mall’s largest spaces empty.
For years afterward, the exterior sign and entrance sat unused while redevelopment plans were worked out.
During the summer of 2019, JCPenney reduced its presence to the first floor of its building.
A portion of the second floor was converted into office space, and the rest was sealed off.
The first-floor sales area stayed open, keeping its entrance to the adjoining concourse.
On January 20, 2023, Gucci opened its first Western Pennsylvania store at Ross Park Mall.
It joined the lineup of high-end retailers added since the late 2000s, boosting the mall’s appeal to premium brands.
Redevelopment and Retail Expansion (2024–2025)
In April 2024, Dick’s House of Sport opened in the former Sears anchor, following a full renovation of the space.
The store introduced multi-level retail, interactive sports areas, and an exterior entrance connected to its own parking section.
The addition replaced a long-standing vacancy and restored an anchor presence on that side of the mall.
On January 29, 2025, mall management announced nine new tenants scheduled to open during the year.
These included Carhartt, Aritzia, Tecovas, Allen Edmonds, Garage, State & Liberty, Unsubscribed, Capital One 360 Café, and Plaza Azteca.
By midyear, Tecovas, Carhartt, and Watches of Switzerland had opened.
At the same time, Aritzia, Capital One 360 Café, and Garage were slated for fall openings.
On July 11, 2025, Garage began operations with an opening period running through late August.
On June 24, 2025, Simon Property Group bought into the JCPenney anchor space, prompting talk of possible redevelopment.
On July 8, Shake Shack was announced for the food court, with no opening date set.
Together with the launch of Dick’s House of Sport, these changes marked the most visible wave of investment and tenant turnover at the mall in more than ten years.
Current State and Character
Ross Park Mall operates today as a large regional center with a mix of established anchors, luxury retailers, and recently added national brands.
The enclosed concourses connect Macy’s, Nordstrom, JCPenney, and the newly opened Dick’s House of Sport.
At the same time, the lifestyle addition brings exterior access to The Cheesecake Factory, Crate & Barrel, and L.L.Bean.
More than 160 tenants range from premium labels like Gucci, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton to mid-market clothing chains and specialty stores.
Ownership by Simon Property Group keeps the property under a national portfolio, with ongoing investment in anchor space and tenant mix aimed at maintaining its role as a major retail destination in the Pittsburgh market.