Pittsburgh-area mall considered for demolition

A Pittsburgh-area shopping mall being proposed for demolition could be best known by fans of horror movies for its role in the 1978 zombie movie "Dawn of the Dead."

The Monroeville Mall was featured in Pittsburgh director George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” and withstood the staged zombie invasion to remain a shopping destination for several more decades.

However, the property reportedly is owned by Walmart, which is seeking state funding to help demolish the mall to replace it with a Walmart store, according to a report from the TribLive website. 

The retailer purchased the Monroeville Mall property for nearly $35 million earlier this year and now has disclosed plans for a demolition and redevelopment project.

In a list of submitted funding requests from the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), the mall demolition funding request is attributed to South Saturn Ridge LLC and is for $7.5 million.

The description of the submitted Monroeville Mall Gateway or Monroeville Mall Economic Revitalization Project says it will transform the space into a modern, mixed-use destination that strengthens the regional economy.

“The project begins with full demolition of the existing mall structures, clearing the site entirely for redevelopment," the proposal continues. "Construction will include new retail, restaurant, and entertainment space, supported by new landscaping, pedestrian-friendly design, and public open spaces for community use. Site preparation will include grading, stabilization, and modernization of utilities such as water, sewer, electric, and telecommunications.”

A Pittsburgh Magazine report describes the mall as having 1.2 million square feet of space, while a Wikipedia page devoted to Monroeville Mall says it has more than 1.4 million square feet of retail space.