Miracle Mile Shopping Center (Monroeville, PA)
Monroeville, Pennsylvania - circa late '50s
The Monroeville Shopping Center (not to be confused with the later Monroeville Mall), is featured in this vintage postcard I purchased last year. Stores visible are J.C. Penney, W.T. Grant, and Thom McCann Shoes, among others I can't quite make out.
I don't know much about this shopping center, other than the fact that it appears to be an open-air strip mall, and was located in Monroeville, PA, dating back to the 1950s. I have no idea whether it's still around anymore, and if so, what the name of the center is now. Was this the basis site for Monroeville Mall years later in 1969? Not really sure. The back of this card simply says: "The beautiful Monroeville Shopping Center". Guess I'll just leave it at that, too.
Edit: Updated post title to reflect that this is the Miracle Mile Shopping Center.
Labels: '50s, 1950s, JCPenney, Miracle Mile, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, Thom McCann, W.T. Grant
posted by Keith @ 2/09/2007
14 Comments:
It has been known as Miracle Mile for at least the past 30 years. Here is a link to their website. http://www.miraclemileshoppingcenter.com/location.asp
I managed a Famous Footwear in the center in the late 80's early 90's. At that time, it was one of the best of the chain in the Pittsburgh market. With the addition of DSW a few years ago, I think business at that location has sufferred.
Miracle Mile is a good place for off price retailing and has for the most part been able to maintain decent occupancy for most of its existance.
Looking at the photo compared to the current store map, it looks like Kresge is now Marshalls, Grant's is now Old Navy, and (I think) JCPenney is now DSW. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.
Oh yeah, the current plaza seems to have a few really big vacancies. Anyone know what they were?
Never mind, I found them. For the record, the vacancies were Media Play (which used to be something else, I think), Kids "R" Us (now Office Max), and TJ Maxx (now K & G Superstore).
How did this go from such stores as JC Penney and WT Grant to outlet places like K&G and Marshall's?
The answer's simple, Didi - market trends change.
When the Monroeville Mall opened only a mile away, that's when all the mid-tier stores started moving out of Miracle Mile and to the mall. Keep in mind, Monroeville Mall was the big one in the area at the time, and has remained so to this day. There used to be a Service Merchandise where Media Play used to be.
Dont forget.. there used to be a drive in movie theater there.
It used to be a site of a Drive In called Miracle Mile Drive-In which was re-located to a neighboring community, Murrysville. In the early 1960's Santa Claus was delivered by a helicoptor to start the Christmas season. JC Penney's later re-located to the Monroeville Mall approx 2 miles away in 1968.
Miracle Mile opened in the mid-fifties. On the Monroeville Garden Cub site there are a number of photographs of the center from that era.
Sorry- this is not the miracle mile! Click on the tag below the picture that says miracle mile. THAT'S the real one!
There used to be a David Weiss Jewelers also in the Miracle Mile..I remember my Aunt driving my mom, my sister and me to see the new Miracle Mile. Wow, i am 69 now, i was very young when it opened..
The postcard shown is actually of the Great Southern Shopping Center in Pittsburgh, PA which was owned by the same company that owned the Miracle Mile Town and Country Shopping Center in Monroeville, PA. This shopping center never had a W.T. Grant or a side set of stores.
A great URL that shows the grand opening can be found at:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CpZRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=42oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5312,1178274&dq=miracle+mile+shopping+center+g:locpittsburgh&hl=en
Yes, the previous poster is correct. The postcard shows Great Southern Shopping Center in Bridgeville, PA. The JC Penney store was there until around 2002. It moved west to the new Mall at Robinson. The Penneys store was torn down and is now the site of an LA Fitness (this location was in the news a couple of years ago due to a tragic shooting) The rest of the center still stands though. There is an Altmeyers Home Store and a Big Lots in the Kresge location. And there is a Fantastic Sams, a vaccuum cleaner store and a Michaels Crafts over where W.T Grant was formerly. There is also a Dollar Tree, a Tuesday Morning, a TJ Maxx, Office Max and a beer store in this plaza, along with Chinese, Italian and Mexican restaurants.
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