Springfield Mall (Pennsylvania)

Springfield Mall
South entrance to Springfield Mall
LocationSpringfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates39°54′54″N 75°21′07″W / 39.915°N 75.352°W / 39.915; -75.352
Address1250 Baltimore Pike Springfield, PA 19064
OpenedSeptember 19, 1974 (1974-09-19)
DeveloperSpringfield Associates
ManagementSpinoso Real Estate Group
OwnerSimon Property Group (50%)
PREIT (50%)
Stores70+
2
Floor area589,000 square feet (54,700 m2)[1]
Floors2 (3 in Macy's)
ParkingLighted Lot
Public transit
Springfield Mall: D1 Bus transport SEPTA bus: 107, 109, 110
Websitewww.shopspringfieldmall.com

Springfield Mall is a 589,000-square-foot (54,700 m2) regional shopping mall located approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Philadelphia in Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is located just off Interstate 476 (the "Blue Route") along Baltimore Pike, near its busy intersection with Pennsylvania Route 320. It is serviced by a number of SEPTA bus lines as well as the SEPTA Metro D1 (former Media Line) at the Springfield Mall station. This is a rarity for suburban Philadelphia shopping malls as many of which are served solely by bus routes.

Springfield Mall is owned jointly by the Simon Property Group and PREIT (each with a 50% stake), and is managed by Spinoso Real Estate Group.

It is currently anchored by a 192,000 sq ft (17,800 m2) Macy's and Target, the latter replacing a 186,000 sq ft (17,300 m2) Strawbridge's anchor store.

History

20th century

The second floor of Springfield Mall seen from Target

Springfield Mall opened on September 19, 1974, under the development of Springfield Associates. The original two anchor stores were Bamberger's and John Wanamaker's.[2]

On October 30, 1985, a mass shooting occurred in the mall's parking lot and interior, killing three people and wounding seven others. The shooter, 25-year-old Sylvia Seegrist was disarmed by shopper John Laufer and later sentenced to life imprisonment.[3][4]

Bamberger's was converted to a Macy's in 1986. John Wanamaker closed in 1995 and was reopened as Hecht's the same year. In 1997, the Hecht's was converted to Strawbridge's.[5]

21st century

In 2005, PREIT and Kravco Simon acquired the Springfield Mall from Springfield Associates LP for $103.5 million.[6]

Strawbridge's closed in 2006 following the sale of its parent company to the same parent company as Macy's. The building was sold to Target in 2008 and demolished fall 2008.[7][8] The new Target was constructed following the Strawbridge's demolition and opened on October 11, 2009, coexisting with the nearby Target store opened in 1997 in a former Strawbridge's, the area's first Target.[9][10]

Current anchor stores

Former anchor stores

References

  1. ↑ "Springfield Mall Fact Sheet" (PDF). PREIT. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Springfield Mall officially opens next Thursday". Delaware County Daily Times. September 12, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Sylvia Seegrist, guilty of mass murders but insane. - The Crime library
  4. ↑ Whatever Happened To: Sylvia Seegrist – Local News Story – WCAU | Philadelphia
  5. ↑ Gross, Alaina (June 12, 2026). "Springfield Mall Through the Years: A Delaware County Memory Machine". DELCO.Today.
  6. ↑ "PREIT and Kravco Simon buy mall". Philadelphia Business Journal. September 19, 2005. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Preit, Target Can Get Down To Business". Delco Times. May 20, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Demolition under way at mall site". Delco Times. September 23, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Another Target in Springfield". Delco Times. October 7, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Shoppers show love for new Target store". Delco Times. October 12, 2009.