East Hills Shopping Center
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA former open-air shopping center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that opened in 1960 and was demolished in 2001 after decades of declining occupancy and unsuccessful redevelopment efforts.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
East Hills Shopping Center was an open-air shopping center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Developed by the local engineering firm Mellon-Stuart, it opened in 1960 with Joseph Horne Company, commonly known as Horne's, as its principal department-store anchor. Its original tenant mix also included G. C. Murphy, Kresge, and Thorofare, giving the center a combination of department-store, discount, variety-store, and grocery-shopping functions. The center initially expanded its department-store presence. In 1961, Horne's added a second location at East Hills focused on discounted clothing. The development nevertheless faced increasing competitive pressure as Pittsburgh-area retail patterns changed. Monroeville Mall, a larger and enclosed shopping center that also housed Horne's, drew business away from East Hills. By the late 1970s, East Hills had lost most of its major tenants. Horne's, G. C. Murphy, Kresge, and Thorofare all closed their locations in 1979. The center's physical format also became a liability. Unlike newer enclosed malls, East Hills exposed shoppers to winter weather, and the merchants' association described the open-air design as outdated and poorly suited to the local climate. Several redevelopment concepts followed. A local developer acquired the property in 1981 and proposed transforming it into a factory-outlet center. The former Thorofare space briefly housed a Golden Dawn supermarket beginning in 1980; after Golden Dawn closed in 1985, the location became a Giant Eagle store. In 1987, the complex was renamed Eastgate Commerce Center and rezoned to permit light-industrial uses. The repositioning did not produce a successful recovery. A Zayre discount store operated on an outparcel, but the broader complex remained largely vacant, and both Zayre and Giant Eagle closed in 1989. Eastgate Associates purchased the property in 1991 and proposed another renovation, this time emphasizing light-industrial occupancy. The plan also failed to restore the center: by 1998, only about 15 percent of the available space had been reused. Petra Ministries purchased the former Zayre building in 1999 and converted it into a church. The ministry also continued to own the shopping-center property through January 2013. From 1999 to 2007, Petra pursued the possibility of attracting Walmart to the site. Lowe's and Kmart were also proposed as replacement users, but none of these plans came to fruition. The mall itself was demolished in 2001, leaving the site without the original shopping-center structure. It remained vacant as of 2013, while a U-Pull-And-Pay auto-salvage operation later opened on the site in 2017. East Hills therefore illustrates the decline of an early suburban open-air retail format, the competitive impact of enclosed regional malls, and the difficulty of redeveloping an obsolete retail property.
History
East Hills Shopping Center opened in 1960 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an open-air retail development created by Mellon-Stuart, a local engineering firm. Joseph Horne Company was the principal anchor, supported by G. C. Murphy, Kresge, and Thorofare. The center represented a common postwar suburban retail format in which department stores, variety stores, and supermarkets were grouped around outdoor pedestrian areas and surface parking. Horne's expanded its role in 1961 by opening a second store at the center devoted to discounted clothing. The development's competitive position weakened during the 1970s. Monroeville Mall, a larger regional shopping center located nearby and featuring its own Horne's store, attracted shoppers away from East Hills. The open-air design also became increasingly unattractive in Pittsburgh's colder weather. Unlike enclosed malls, East Hills offered limited protection from winter conditions, and local merchants later characterized its design as outdated. By 1979, the center had lost its principal retail traffic generators: Horne's, G. C. Murphy, Kresge, and Thorofare all closed. The property then passed through a series of attempted repositionings. Golden Dawn Supermarket opened in the former Thorofare space in 1980 and was later replaced by Giant Eagle after Golden Dawn closed in 1985. In 1981, a local developer acquired the center with a plan to turn it into a factory-outlet mall. That concept did not restore the complex to sustained occupancy. In 1987, the property was renamed Eastgate Commerce Center and rezoned to permit light-industrial use. A Zayre discount store operated on an outparcel, but most of the center remained vacant. Giant Eagle and Zayre both closed in 1989. Eastgate Associates purchased the property in 1991 and proposed another redevelopment based on light-industrial tenants. The plan was unsuccessful; by 1998, only approximately 15 percent of the space had been reused. Petra Ministries acquired the former Zayre building in 1999, converting it into a church, and continued to own the shopping-center property through January 2013. Between 1999 and 2007, Petra explored bringing Walmart to the site. Lowe's and Kmart were also proposed as possible replacement developments, but the proposals did not materialize. The shopping mall was demolished in 2001. Despite the removal of the obsolete structures, the property remained vacant as of 2013 and was subsequently offered for sale. A U-Pull-And-Pay auto-salvage operation opened on the site in 2017. The history of East Hills is therefore less a story of brand expansion than of retail-property decline: an initially viable open-air center lost its anchors to a stronger enclosed competitor, and multiple changes in ownership, naming, zoning, and intended use failed to produce a durable replacement.
- 2017
Auto-salvage operation opens
[1]U-Pull-And-Pay begins operating on the former shopping-center site.
- 2001
Shopping center is demolished
[1]The mall structures are removed after prolonged vacancy and failed redevelopment proposals.
- 1991
Eastgate Associates acquires the site
[1]The new owner proposes renovation for light-industrial use, but the redevelopment does not succeed.
- 1987
Retail-to-industrial repositioning begins
[1]The property becomes Eastgate Commerce Center and receives zoning intended to permit light-industrial occupancy.
- 1979
Original major anchors depart
[1]Horne's, G. C. Murphy, Kresge, and Thorofare close as the center loses business to Monroeville Mall.
- 1961
Horne's expands at the center
[1]Horne's adds a second store specializing in discounted clothing.
- 1960
East Hills Shopping Center opens
[1]Mellon-Stuart-developed open-air shopping center opens in Pittsburgh with Joseph Horne Company as its main department-store anchor.
Products and positioning
A mid-century neighborhood and suburban shopping center serving Pittsburgh-area consumers through an open-air tenant layout anchored by a department store, supermarket, and discount-oriented retailers. Its original positioning became less competitive as enclosed regional malls and newer retail formats expanded.
Department store · 1960
Joseph Horne Company
Joseph Horne Company, generally known as Horne's, served as East Hills' principal anchor when the center opened. The department store provided broad general merchandise and was intended to generate regular shopping traffic for the surrounding smaller tenants. Horne's later added a second East Hills location focused on discounted clothing, but both the main store and the other original anchors closed in 1979 as shoppers shifted toward Monroeville Mall.
Discount clothing · 1961
Horne's discounted-clothing store
Opened in 1961, this second Horne's location extended the department-store anchor's presence at East Hills with a discounted-clothing concept. It reflected the center's effort to serve both conventional department-store demand and value-oriented shoppers. The store ultimately closed along with Horne's main East Hills operation during the center's major tenant departures in 1979.
Supermarket · 1960
Thorofare and successor grocery operations
Thorofare was one of the original East Hills tenants and supplied supermarket traffic to the center. After Thorofare closed in 1979, Golden Dawn Supermarket occupied the former space beginning in 1980. Golden Dawn closed in 1985, after which the location became a Giant Eagle store. Giant Eagle later closed in 1989 as the broader property continued to decline.
Brand decisions
1999
Attempts to attract WalmartStrategyBackground
Petra Ministries acquired the former Zayre building and pursued a large-format replacement for the failed shopping-center development.
Action taken
Between 1999 and 2007, Petra attempted to bring Walmart to the site; Lowe's and Kmart were also proposed as possible replacements.
Aftermath
None of the proposed replacement developments was built, and the site remained vacant after demolition of the mall.
1991
Light-industrial renovation planStrategyBackground
Eastgate Associates acquired a property that had only a small number of remaining tenants and sought a use compatible with the site's weak retail demand.
Action taken
The owner proposed renovating the center for light-industrial occupancy.
Aftermath
The redevelopment was unsuccessful; by 1998, only about 15 percent of the space had been reused.
1987
Renaming and rezoning as Eastgate Commerce CenterStrategyBackground
The declining shopping center had substantial vacancy and faced competition from newer, enclosed retail properties.
Action taken
The complex was renamed Eastgate Commerce Center and rezoned to allow light-industrial uses.
Aftermath
The change did not fill the property. Apart from an outparcel Zayre store, the center remained largely vacant, and both Zayre and Giant Eagle closed in 1989.
1981
Proposed conversion to a factory-outlet centerStrategyBackground
After the original anchor tenants departed or weakened, a local developer acquired the property and sought to replace the conventional open-air mall model with a factory-outlet format.
Action taken
The property was targeted for conversion into a factory-outlet mall.
Aftermath
The proposal did not produce a sustained retail recovery, and the property was later repositioned again for light-industrial use.
Sources1 sources
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