Westmoreland Mall facts for kids
Westmoreland Mall as seen from across U.S. Route 30
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| Location | Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 40°18′04″N 79°30′29″W / 40.301°N 79.508°W |
| Address | 5256 U.S. Route 30 |
| Opening date | 28 February 1977 |
| Developer | Adam Eidemiller, Inc./The Goodman Company |
| Management | CBL Properties |
| Owner | CBL Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 170+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 7 (6 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,287,620 square feet (119,624 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 (3 in the parking garage) |
| Parking | 6,436 spaces (covered and uncovered) |
| Public transit access |  WCTA bus: 2F, 9, 9S, 12, 20F |
Westmoreland Mall is a big, two-story shopping center and casino in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania. It's located southeast of Pittsburgh and is owned by CBL Properties. The mall first opened in 1977 and was made much bigger and newer in 1993–1994.
You can find popular stores like H&M, JCPenney, Macy's, Macy's Backstage, Macy's Home, and Old Navy here. There's also Live! Casino Pittsburgh, a large area for games and fun. The mall has over 170 shops and covers a huge area, making it one of the biggest shopping spots in Western Pennsylvania.
Around the mall, there are more than 25 other stores and places to eat. This includes the Westmoreland Crossing shopping center, which opened in 1978. It has a 15-screen AMC Theatres movie theater, Dick's Sporting Goods, Levin Furniture, Michaels Arts and Crafts, Planet Fitness, and T.J. Maxx. Many other shops and restaurants are also nearby.
The mall is on the eastern side of the Greater Pittsburgh Area along a busy road called U.S. Route 30. This area is full of large stores and businesses, making it a major shopping destination.
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History of Westmoreland Mall
Before Westmoreland Mall was built, the land was mostly open fields and woods. A few small businesses were along U.S. Route 30. At that time, people in the area usually shopped in downtown Greensburg or at Greengate Mall, which was west of the city.
As more people wanted places to shop, two big stores, Kaufmann's and Sears, wanted to open new locations. They first asked the owners of Greengate Mall, but they weren't interested. This led to the idea of building a brand new mall in the area.
How the Mall Was Planned
In the mid-1970s, the company that owned the land, Adam Eidemiller, Inc., first thought about building a motel. But they soon realized a shopping mall would be a better idea because malls were becoming very popular.
They teamed up with the Goodman Company, which had experience building big projects like Granite Run Mall near Philadelphia. Construction on Westmoreland Mall began in 1975. Kaufmann's was the first store to open its doors in late 1976.
Grand Opening and Growth
Westmoreland Mall officially opened on February 28, 1977. It started with Kaufmann's and Sears as the main stores, along with 89 other shops. Special events were held, including a visit from Mr. McFeely from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
The mall continued to grow. In 1978, the South Annex (now Westmoreland Crossing) opened. In 1979, Troutman's Department Store was added, along with more retail space. By the mid-1980s, even more stores and restaurants were built.
During this time, Westmoreland Mall's fast growth put pressure on its rival, Greengate Mall. Greengate Mall tried to stay competitive by updating its look and bringing in new stores.
Big Changes and New Additions
By the early 1990s, many retailers wanted more space at Westmoreland Mall. Also, competition from other malls in the Pittsburgh area was growing. Because of this, the mall's owners decided to make it bigger and better.
A $33 million renovation project began in 1993. It finished in 1994 with the grand opening of JCPenney, which moved from Greengate Mall. This expansion added more space for 20 new stores and a large food court. A three-level parking garage and a new entrance were also built.
The last major addition happened in 1999 when Carmike Cinemas (now AMC Theatres) opened a new 15-screen movie theater next to the mall. The old movie theater inside the mall was then turned into Kaufmann's Home, which is now Macy's Home.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh
Live! Casino Pittsburgh is a large gaming and entertainment center located inside Westmoreland Mall. It was built in the space where the Bon-Ton store used to be. The casino officially opened on November 24, 2020.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board gave permission for the casino to operate on August 14, 2019. Construction began in late 2019. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays, the project was finished in just one year.
The casino has a large gaming floor with 750 slot machines and electronic table games. It also has 30 live table games. You can find a sportsbook there, too, where you can bet on sports. Plus, there are several well-known restaurants and places for live entertainment, like Sports & Social Steel City and Guy Fieri's American Kitchen and Bar.
Main Stores at the Mall
Westmoreland Mall has several main stores, also known as anchor stores. These include JCPenney and Macy's, which own their own buildings. Other important stores are H&M, Macy's Home, and Old Navy. Live! Casino Pittsburgh also acts as a major anchor for the mall.
Sears was one of the original main stores when the mall opened in 1977. It was much larger than its previous location in Greensburg. However, Sears closed its doors on March 17, 2019, as part of a plan to close many stores across the country.
JCPenney has been in Greensburg for a long time, since the early 1900s. It moved to Westmoreland Mall in 1994 from the former Greengate Mall. In 2010, the JCPenney store was updated, and a Sephora makeup shop opened inside it.
Troutman's was another department store that opened at Westmoreland Mall in 1979. It later became Pomeroy's, and then The Bon-Ton. Sadly, The Bon-Ton closed on July 29, 2018, when its company went out of business. The space where The Bon-Ton used to be was then turned into the Live! Casino Pittsburgh.
Kaufmann's was a big store from Pittsburgh that opened at the mall in 1977. In 2006, Kaufmann's stores across the country were changed to Macy's as part of a big rebranding effort.
