Viewmont Mall

Viewmont Mall is a regional shopping center located in the Scranton area of Pennsylvania. It serves northeastern Pennsylvania with a mix of department stores, specialty retail, sporting-goods offerings, home furnishings, restaurants, and entertainment-oriented amenities. The property opened in 1968 after a reported construction investment of $10 million, beginning with Grant's, JCPenney, and Sears as its principal anchors. Sears opened in February 1968, while the mall's two-level JCPenney store opened later that October. The center has experienced repeated changes in its anchor lineup as department-store formats and retail ownership evolved. Grant's left in 1976 and was replaced by Hess's. Hess's later undertook construction of a larger store, beginning in 1987, but the retailer departed in 1994. Kaufmann's replaced Hess's in 1995 and was subsequently converted to Macy's in September 2006 following Macy's acquisition and rebranding of the Kaufmann's chain. JCPenney remained an anchor through these changes, while Sears operated for nearly five decades before closing in 2016. Entertainment was also part of Viewmont Mall's earlier identity. A General Cinemas theater had operated at the property since November 1973. Its closure was announced in 1999, and the theater ended operations in January 2000. The building was later demolished and replaced by a Borders bookstore, which reflected the mall's continuing effort to repurpose obsolete or underperforming space. Ownership changed in 2003, when Crown American sold Viewmont Mall and Wyoming Valley Mall to PREIT. Viewmont received a major renovation in 2007, followed by substantial food-court changes in 2014 that included the addition of Buffalo Wild Wings. These projects emphasized dining and updated common areas as traditional enclosed malls sought to broaden their appeal beyond department-store shopping. The departure of Sears created the property's most significant recent redevelopment opportunity. Sears closed in mid-2016, and its building was subsequently demolished. PREIT had reportedly anticipated the retailer's departure several years before the lease expired. In 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream were announced as replacement tenants. The combined sporting-goods operation opened in September 2017, and HomeGoods opened nearby in August 2017 on part of the former Sears area. In 2023, the Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream locations temporarily closed for conversion into a Dick's House of Sport, a larger experiential sporting-goods concept. The remodeled store opened in August 2023. Viewmont Mall remains an active shopping center whose tenant mix combines national department stores, sporting-goods retail, home products, food service, and other specialty businesses. Its history illustrates the transition of a traditional Pennsylvania regional mall from a department-store-centered model toward a more diversified format built around updated anchors and experience-oriented retail.

Viewmont Mall was developed as a regional shopping center serving the Scranton area of Pennsylvania and opened in 1968. Construction reportedly cost $10 million. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Grant's, JCPenney, and Sears. Sears began operations in February 1968, followed by a two-floor JCPenney store in October. This original configuration placed the mall within the traditional department-store-led suburban retail model that expanded throughout the United States during the postwar period. The first major anchor transition occurred in 1976, when Grant's closed and was replaced by Hess's. Hess's later began building a larger store at the property in 1987. Sears also received extensive changes in 1993, with work that approximately doubled the size of its store. These investments reflected the importance of large anchors in attracting shoppers and supporting the surrounding inline tenants. Hess's closed in the late summer of 1994. Kaufmann's took over the space in the fall of 1995, maintaining the mall's department-store presence under a different regional chain. Kaufmann's was later renamed Macy's in September 2006 as part of the broader consolidation of department-store banners under the Macy's brand. Viewmont Mall also had an entertainment component. A General Cinemas theater had been located at the mall since November 1973. In April 1999, the theater's impending closure was announced, and its final operating day was January 17, 2000. The structure was eventually demolished and replaced by a Borders bookstore, demonstrating how the property repurposed space when an established use no longer fit the market. In 2003, Crown American sold Viewmont Mall and Wyoming Valley Mall to PREIT. Under PREIT ownership, Viewmont underwent a major renovation in 2007. Further changes came in 2014, when the food court was substantially remodeled and Buffalo Wild Wings was added. These improvements broadened the mall's appeal by strengthening dining and common-area offerings rather than relying solely on conventional department-store traffic. Sears ultimately closed its Viewmont Mall location in the middle of 2016, and the building was demolished later that year. PREIT had reportedly known for several years that Sears would not continue at the property after its lease ended. In April 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream were announced as the replacement tenants. Their dual-format store opened in September 2017, while HomeGoods opened in August 2017 beside Field & Stream on the former Sears site. The sporting-goods space was subsequently repositioned again. Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream temporarily shut down at the end of January 2023 for conversion into a Dick's House of Sport. The new store opened in August 2023, replacing the earlier dual-banner configuration with a more experience-oriented sporting-goods concept. Today, Viewmont Mall is an active regional shopping center anchored by JCPenney, Macy's, Dick's House of Sport, and HomeGoods. Its development history shows a gradual shift from a classic enclosed mall centered on Grant's, Sears, and other department stores toward a more varied retail and dining destination. The property has adapted through renovations, anchor replacements, repurposed space, food-service additions, and newer experiential retail formats.

• 2023

  Dick's House of Sport launches

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream space reopens in August as a Dick's House of Sport.

• 2017

  New sporting-goods and home-furnishing stores open

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream combination opens in September, and HomeGoods opens nearby in August.

• 2016

  Sears closes and replacement redevelopment begins

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closes and its building is later demolished; Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream are selected for the replacement project.

• 2014

  Food-court redevelopment

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The food court receives substantial changes and adds Buffalo Wild Wings.

• 2007

  Major renovation

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Viewmont Mall completes a significant renovation of the property.

• 2006

  Kaufmann's is rebranded as Macy's

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Kaufmann's anchor adopts the Macy's name in September.

• 2003

  Ownership transfers to PREIT

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Crown American sells Viewmont Mall to PREIT in a transaction that also includes Wyoming Valley Mall.

• 2000

  General Cinemas closes

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall theater ends operations in January, and its building is later replaced by a Borders store.

• 1995

  Kaufmann's replaces Hess's

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kaufmann's opens in the former Hess's space after Hess's leaves the property.

• 1993

  Sears store is substantially expanded

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Major changes approximately double the size of the Sears store.

• 1976

  Hess's replaces Grant's

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Grant's closes and its anchor space is taken over by Hess's.

• 1973

  General Cinemas theater begins operation

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A General Cinemas theater opens at the mall and remains part of the property for more than two decades.

• 1968

  Viewmont Mall opens

  [1]Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opens in the Scranton area with Grant's, JCPenney, and Sears as its original anchor tenants.

A regional enclosed shopping center serving Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania through a diversified mix of department stores, specialty retailers, sporting-goods experiences, home merchandise, and dining.

• Department stores · 1968

  Department-store retail

  Viewmont Mall's department-store offer is represented by JCPenney and Macy's. These anchors provide apparel, accessories, beauty products, household merchandise, and other broad-line retail categories. The department-store component has remained central to the mall while individual banners have changed from Grant's and Hess's to Kaufmann's and then Macy's.

• Sporting goods · 2023

  Dick's House of Sport

  Dick's House of Sport is an experiential sporting-goods store that replaced the earlier Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream combination at Viewmont Mall. The store provides sporting equipment, athletic apparel, footwear, and related merchandise in a larger format designed to support a more engaging retail experience.

• Home furnishings · 2017

  HomeGoods

  HomeGoods occupies space developed near the former Sears site. Its assortment focuses on home furnishings, decor, kitchen products, textiles, and other household goods, adding a home-oriented anchor category to Viewmont Mall's tenant mix.

• Food service · 2014

  Dining and food-court offer

  The mall's dining offer includes a renovated food court and restaurant tenants. Food-court changes completed in 2014 included the addition of Buffalo Wild Wings, supporting the property's strategy of combining shopping with casual dining and social activity.

• 2023

  Conversion to Dick's House of SportGeneration change

  Background

  The existing Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream stores were temporarily closed to create a newer retail format.

  Action taken

  The dual-banner operation was converted into a Dick's House of Sport.

  Aftermath

  The House of Sport opened in August 2023, giving the mall a larger experiential sporting-goods anchor.

  Source

• 2016

  Replacement of Sears with new retail anchorsStrategy

  Background

  Sears was expected to leave after its lease expired, creating a large redevelopment opportunity.

  Action taken

  The Sears building was closed and later demolished, while Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream were selected as replacement tenants.

  Aftermath

  The former Sears area reopened with sporting-goods and home-furnishing uses in 2017.

  Source

• 2014

  Food-court repositioningStrategy

  Background

  Enclosed malls were increasingly using dining and restaurant concepts to supplement traditional retail traffic.

  Action taken

  The food court was significantly changed and Buffalo Wild Wings was added.

  Aftermath

  Dining became a more visible part of the mall's tenant and customer offer.

  Source

• 2007

  Major property renovationStrategy

  Background

  The aging regional shopping center required updated facilities and a refreshed customer environment.

  Action taken

  PREIT carried out a major renovation of Viewmont Mall.

  Aftermath

  The renovation modernized the property before later food-court and anchor-replacement projects.

  Source

1. 1Viewmont Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Viewmont Mall official websiteshopviewmontmall.com