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Pittsburgh Mills to hit auction block Wednesday

FRAZER TOWNSHIP — What was once supposed to represent a new approach to shopping, but a decade later, parts of the Pittsburgh Mills mall will hit the auction block Wednesday.

The Frazer Township mall is one of the biggest malls in the state at more than 1 million square feet. When it opened in 2005, there was much excitement for the mall. But with only about half of the stores inside occupied, it hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Tuesday, only a few cars were in the parking lots. At one of the mall’s entrances, a notice let shoppers and prospective buyers know the mall would be up for sale Wednesday at 11 a.m. The businesses and restaurants that surround Pittsburgh Mills are not part of the sale.

According to its website, Pittsburgh Mills has room for 179 stores, but the mall directory only lists 97, which is a 54 percent occupancy rate.

Audrey Guskey, a marketing professor at Duquesne University, said a mix of problems likely doomed the mall from the start.

“The main reason is we're oversaturated with malls and store and retailers across western Pennsylvania, so it's hard to be competitive. I think they were offering a lot of things they never really delivered upon,” Guskey said.

Pittsburgh Mills is the latest mall in the area to go on the auction block. Both the Beaver Valley Mall and Washington Crown Center recently sold to new buyers. Guskey said she thinks the right buyers could turn Pittsburgh Mills around.

“I think if they get a developer who's creative and innovative and is able to offer things in that region that perhaps other parts of Pittsburgh don't have, then perhaps they'll be successful,” she said.

Devonna Smith, who shops at the mall regularly, said she’s seen changes over time.

“I've seen more empty storefronts. Things that used to be there that aren't there anymore,” Smith said.

At one point, the mall was valued at $190 million. Now, it’s only valued at about $11 million.

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