SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — After sitting abandoned for more than a decade, the Washington Mall is in its final days.
Crews on Wednesday used an excavator to tear down what remained of the last portion, including the former JCPenney.
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Construction expects the structure to be fully down by the end of next week, about a month ahead of schedule, owner Vinnie Neiswonger said.
PHOTOS: Crews begin demolishing last portion of former Washington Mall
“All around me are giant piles of rubble,” Channel 11 reporter Cara Sapida said from the site, describing debris that still must be hauled away before redevelopment can move forward.
Drone video over the property shows that most of the once-popular mall has already been reduced to rubble. The demolition will clear the way for a major retail redevelopment anchored by a Costco.
For former customers, the teardown is bittersweet.
“It was an eyesore for a long time,” said Joe Hopkins, who remembers the mall in its prime.
Hopkins said the mall was once a regular stop for families.
“Joann Fabrics, the pizza place, the arcade. We used to go to the grocery store below it, eat donuts, and play in the arcade,” he said.
Another mallgoer, Richie Mansfield, works across the street.
“It’s almost done — you can see right through the building,” Mansfield said.
Developers say part of the former grocery store structure will remain and be converted into an RV dealership. Two businesses on the property — China Buffet and Harbor Freight — are still under lease through the summer of 2026 and are tentatively expected to relocate on the site, according to local commissioners.
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