The general lack of photographs for Century III Mall was far from intentional. Shortly after my arrival, mall security informed me that photography was not permitted. Strangely enough, I couldn’t seem to find any trace of any signs indicating this, despite actively looking for them during my departure. The fact that Century III’s best days are very, very far behind it is hardly a secret. It had even been named one of the most endangered retail locations in a 2009 report by U.S. News & World Report.
The mall was owned by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group until 2006, when they decided to pursue greener pastures. Starting in 1999, a variety of factors including increasing area competition led to ever-mounting vacancies, and by June of 2009, the mall had lost over half of its assessment value. Moonbeam Capital Investments purchased it in 2013, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Outside of the Bank of America Plaza in Charlotte, NC, this mall ranks as being the most monitored location I have visited. It’s also the most hidden mall I’ve been to so far. It’s buried deep within a maze of other freestanding retail plazas and if I hadn’t already known it was there, I doubt I would have been able to find it.
In February of 2019, Century III was deemed “unsafe and uninhabitable” due to numerous fire code violations along with a lack of heat, and the few remaining tenants were served eviction notices.
Name: Century III
Location: West Mifflin, PA
Developer: Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
Year Completed: 1979
Square Footage: 1,290,000
Owner: Moonbeam Capital Investments LLC
