Demolition imminent at Washington Crown Center
New Franklin Crossroads Park will host mix of retail, business
Demolition of part of the former Washington Crown Center is imminent, now that the sale of the shopping mall has been finalized.
The new owners – EP Funds, a commercial real estate fund management and advisory firm based in Cleveland, and Industry Realty Group LLC, a commercial real estate group in Los Angeles – are rebranding the 450,000-square-foot project as Franklin Crossroads Park, which will be redeveloped into a mixed-use hub for retail and business growth.
Chris Salata, a partner with PREP Funds, said Monday that the company has been looking for an opportunity to do business in Western Pennsylvania.
“We really like the market, first and foremost,” he said. “The location of this property is outstanding, given its access to I-70 and the current condition of the bones of the building. We’re really excited about how quickly we’ll be able to bring this back to market.”
Salata would not divulge the sale price, and the transaction had not been recorded as of Monday afternoon with the Washington County Recorder of Deeds office. The deal was completed Friday.
Kohan Retail Investment Group, based in Great Neck, N.Y., which purchased the mall for $20 million in 2016, could not be reached for comment Monday.
Demolition of part of the mall – including Hollywood Theatre and the former Bon Ton store, – will begin in as little as a week.
“We’re hoping to be swinging hammers next Monday,” Salata said. “We’ll be there that quickly.”
Bob Sabot, chair of the North Franklin Township Supervisors, said the township is optimistic and supportive of the sale, which he said includes the mall undergoing a $40 million transformation.
“This is obviously a very joyous day in North Franklin Township,” Sabot said. “I want to assure the residents of North Franklin Township that the supervisors are 100% behind this sale.”
Nick Sherman, chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, also expressed optimism about the deal.
“This is an incredible private investment in our community by IRG and PREP Funds, and our leadership team here at the county will do all we can to support the developers and their efforts,” he said.
Plans include creating a 100,000-square-foot retail center on the eastern side of the property. Existing and future retail tenants will face Interstate 70 for maximum visibility and convenience for their customers.
On the western side, 350,000 square feet of long-vacant retail space will be transformed into a business park that will accommodate a mix of corporate uses, which could include office, industrial, or research and development tenants.
“This site is ideally positioned within the greater Pittsburgh market with direct access to the I-70 interchange,” said Peter Goffstein, Executive Vice President at IRG. “The development will transform the property to meet the changing needs of modern businesses and drive long-term growth and prosperity for the area.”
Construction will begin this fall with a portion of the mall remaining open through the end of the year. PREP Funds and IRG plan on having the first retail tenants occupy the new space in the first quarter of 2026, with the business park tenants coming in late spring or early summer. The business park spaces will be customizable to corporate users and could include office space, loading docks and build-out packages.
Sabot said the township is hopeful that many of the approximately 25 small businesses inside the mall will survive.
“They have gone through so much, but finally, brighter days are ahead,” he said.
Washington Crown Center, Washington County’s only enclosed shopping center, has 434,408 square feet of big box and in-line space.
The retail center opened as Franklin Mall in 1969 with Troutman’s, Sears and Grant City (which became Hills in 1976) as its anchors.
In 1999, it was renamed Washington Crown Center and underwent a renovation. Changes included the addition of a movie theater on the site of the former Hess’s store, which closed four years prior, the conversion of Hills to Ames and the addition of Kaufmann’s as a fourth anchor.
The sale will not affect Crown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, as the dealership owns its own building, Rural King or Mac Discount.
“It is no secret that the township has worked relentlessly for this day to occur,” Sabot said. “We feel this is an absolutely wonderful move and will assure a vibrant future to the mall, for North Franklin Township and its residents.”