Community hopeful that new owners will bring the Monroeville Mall back to life

MONROEVILLE, Pa. — Big changes are coming to the Monroeville Mall. The once-thriving mall will soon be redeveloped after it was just sold for $34 million.

“I’m surprised. I’m just really surprised they sold the mall,” Rodney Hembree said. “This mall’s been around for a long time and they’ve expanded it a couple of times and all of that, but yeah, I’m amazed.”

Dallas-based development and investment firm Cypress Equities plans on turning the 1.2 million-square-foot property into spaces for retail, entertainment, restaurants, residences and offices.

Alyse Fowlks has been a tenant at the mall for three years.

“To hear there’s new owners and they have new plans, it’s very exciting to see what they’re going to bring to the mall,” Fowlks said.

Fowlks said business for her shop Colab has been good but over the years several stores have moved out.

“I’ve heard from other tenants that it’s been slow because foot traffic varies because people feel unsafe, but I feel very safe,” she said.

The mall’s long-standing reputation has been somewhat damaged over the last decade with large fights breaking out and several shootings on the property.

In 2020, a man was shot and killed in the mall’s parking lot outside Party City.

“I was a little weary to come here after the violence that took place,” Hembree said.

Monroeville’s Mayor Dr. Nick J. Gresock said in a statement safety will be top of mind.

“We are very excited to have Cypress Equities join our community and look forward to their plans to reimagine and redevelop the mall,” Gresock said. “We have had great meetings with their officials. I am very optimistic about their long-term vision and the positive impact it will have on Monroeville. They have ensured us that safety is their immediate priority. Their new security team was already at work this past weekend.”

Many shoppers and tenants are hopeful a new owner can bring the once-vibrant mall back to life.

“I think it’ll bring more people to the mall and just make it a more inviting environment,” Fowlks said.

Hembree, a shopper, agreed.

“If they can revive it and make it come back, sure that’d be great,” he said.

The mall went up for sale in December. The previous owners tell Channel 11 that pursuing a sale allows them to “focus efforts on higher productivity properties.”

Chris Maguire, CEO of Cypress Equities, said in a statement, “We are excited to embark on this transformative project and bring a new vision to Monroeville Mall. We believe this redevelopment will create a vibrant and dynamic destination that serves the community and drives economic growth in the region.”

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