York Galleria opens with four anchors
York County gained a new shopping landmark in 1989 when York Galleria debuted as a two-level enclosed mall developed by Zamias Services.
The mall was planned as a full-service center with wide concourses and a large central court connecting four department stores.
Boscov's, The Bon-Ton, JCPenney, and Sears anchored the corners, each opening with its own exterior entrance and full-line selection.
The mall's arrival drew both longtime residents and retailers moving from the older York Mall.
The interior featured a skylit concourse and food court, blending department stores with apparel, jewelry, and specialty shops.
Parking lots ringed the property, accommodating steady weekend traffic as the mall opened its doors to the public.
By the end of its first year, all four anchors were operating, and most of the inline space was leased.
Big-box neighbors arrive, and dining pads fill
In 1999, York Galleria found itself leading a surge of commercial growth along its corridor.
Two significant openings that year, next door, marked the change: Kohl's on April 16 and Target on October 10.
Those launches set off rapid development, with Michaels and additional big-box retailers filling nearby parcels, expanding the retail flow beyond the mall's enclosed space.
Continuous flow between the Galleria and adjacent stores became the norm after these additions.
Parking fields were joined, and added access routes produced a natural circuit throughout the site.
Anchored by its mix of department stores within and discount retailers without, Whiteford Road emerged as a regional shopping cluster rather than one lone property.
Over the next decade, smaller parcels filled in with restaurants and service businesses.
The most notable addition arrived in November 2014, when Red Robin opened at 1500 Mount Zion Road on an outparcel fronting the mall.
Its full-service layout introduced a sit-down dining option tied to a national chain, expanding beyond the food court offerings inside.
By the end of 2014, York Galleria stood at the center of a connected commercial hub.
The next wave of change would take place within its walls as the era of department store contraction began.
Anchors exit, space is carved for new formats
In January 2015, JCPenney announced it would close its York Galleria store, ending a 26-year run as one of the mall's original anchors.
The departure left a major footprint to backfill, and plans soon followed to subdivide the space for multiple users.
The reconfiguration created room for newer retail categories that could adapt to smaller floorplates.
By late 2016, H&M had joined the lineup, bringing a fast-fashion format not previously represented in the market.
The upper and lower levels of the former JCPenney were repurposed for separate tenants, with Marshalls taking a large upper section and Gold's Gym opening on the lower floor.
The changes shifted the property toward off-price and fitness, introducing activity during hours beyond typical retail trade.
Through 2018, two more anchors closed in quick succession.
The Bon-Ton liquidated its entire chain that April, and Sears announced its own closure that August.
Both departures left dark façades along the concourse and removed the mall's traditional bookends.
As 2018 ended, York Galleria was still open but reduced to one surviving department store anchor.
Its remaining spaces were leased to specialty tenants and temporary users while new redevelopment ideas circulated for the vacant boxes.
Casino approvals move the former Sears to gaming
In February 2018, Springettsbury Township officials began public discussions about allowing a Category 4 casino inside the former Sears building.
The plan advanced as Penn National Gaming sought a license to develop what became Hollywood Casino York.
The proposal promised to reuse the first floor of the Sears anchor shell rather than demolish it.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted final approval on December 18, 2019.
Permitting followed through early 2020, and interior demolition began soon after.
Work paused when statewide health restrictions shut construction sites, delaying the initial schedule by several months.
By spring 2021, the project had restarted under revised safety measures.
Recruitment opened for dealers, security staff, and restaurant workers, signaling that operations were close.
On August 12, 2021, Hollywood Casino York officially opened with 500 slot machines, 24 table games, and a sports wagering lounge.
The conversion of the former Sears gave the property its first full-scale entertainment use, drawing a new stream of visitors beyond retail shoppers.
The success of that reuse confirmed that large anchor boxes could serve alternate purposes, setting up the next transformation for the mall's other vacant department store space.
Former Bon-Ton turns into climate-controlled storage
In February 2020, Springettsbury Township approved a plan to convert the former Bon-Ton at York Galleria into a climate-controlled self-storage facility.
The application called for a full interior retrofit while keeping the existing building shell, shifting the space from retail floors to secured storage use within the same footprint.
Once authorized, the project stayed on track under standard permit conditions through the pandemic.
Interior remodeling dominated the scope, dividing the former retail floor plan and adapting it for temperature-regulated storage operations.
The anchor building, empty since the department store's closure, reopened in May 2022 as Extra Space Storage at the mall's listed address.
Exterior markers identified the facility, and connecting drives tied it into the property's existing flow.
A non-retail user thus took over one of the mall's key spaces.
At the close of this phase, the former Bon-Ton was fully adapted to storage and in service alongside retail, fitness, and the casino elsewhere on the site.
With the large box reoccupied by May 2022, subsequent adjustments at York Galleria turned to smaller-format leases and selective upgrades inside the remaining mall footprint.
Remodels and value retail refresh the mix
Bargain Binz opened at York Galleria in May 2024, bringing a new kind of discount experience to the mall.
The store's model relied on frequent restocks and a treasure-hunt appeal, drawing steady weekend crowds.
Its launch brought a value-driven anchor to the interior space once occupied by traditional mid-market retailers.
That fall, the mall's last remaining department store, Boscov's, completed a major renovation.
Work concluded in October 2024, and the company held a grand reopening event on October 26.
The refreshed interior introduced updated lighting, reorganized departments, and new merchandising displays.
The property's look also improved during the year.
Vacant storefronts were repainted and leased to seasonal or local vendors, giving the concourse more consistent occupancy.
York Galleria was maintained under CBL Properties, which continued to list the site in its active portfolio.
By the close of 2024, York Galleria had regained a measure of activity with its combination of discount retail, full-line department store, fitness use, and gaming traffic.
The next cycle would push beyond retail, as redevelopment proposals sought to add new residential density to the mall's large parcel.
Mixed-use steps and late 2025 tenant changes
In March 2025, the Springettsbury Township Planning Commission endorsed zoning amendments for a proposed apartment complex on the York Galleria property.
The project, called Signature Flats at Galleria, covered roughly 2.5 acres and planned 98 residential units under the township's flexible overlay district.
The vote allowed the design to advance toward a full review.
On September 11, 2025, the Board of Supervisors agenda included a related item from Galleria Apartments LLC requesting a text amendment referral for 2899 Whiteford Road.
The filing marked a second move toward integrating housing into the existing site, continuing the trend of mixed-use redevelopment.
During the same year, Hollywood Casino York reported higher gaming revenue, including a 43 percent increase in August compared with the prior year.
The growth reflected strong slot and sports wagering performance that kept steady foot traffic at the complex.
Late that September, Claire's closed its store inside the mall.
At the end of 2025, York Galleria remained open with Boscov's, Marshalls, PA Fitness, the casino, and the storage facility in place.
Residential planning activity signaled the start of a broader shift toward a combined retail and housing footprint.
