Why It Cost More to Tear Down Century III Mall Than to Buy It

Century III Mall outlived the mills that helped build it. Why did Pittsburgh’s hilltop shopping landmark lose its crowds—and its value? Built on a mountain of steel-mill slag in West Mifflin, Century III was a roughly $100 million project backed by U.S. Steel and mall builder Edward DeBartolo. Its story runs from the glowing hillside families once drove out to watch to Kaufmann’s Christmas villages, Olde Pittsburgh’s cobblestones and more than 200 stores. Follow the changing owners, the rise of The Waterfront on former mill land, and the decisions behind a 2013 sale for $10.5 million. Alongside those deals are the people who gave the mall its life: decorator Paula Biggs, families who returned every week, and a comic shop still growing as the corridors emptied. What happens to their town when a shopping destination becomes a bill nobody can ignore? Local histories, economic history and extensive reporting on the owners, bankruptcy and court proceedings provide the evidence. The memories of workers and shoppers keep the human stakes in view, leaving room for you to weigh the decisions and their consequences. 0:00 Our Giant Foyer 3:09 The River of Fire 6:37 Building on a Slag Heap 9:49 Opening Week in Pittsburgh 13:30 Christmas Above the Mills 17:40 The Last Shift at Homestead 20:59 Joining the Simon Empire 23:05 A Rival by the River 26:31 When Kaufmann’s Became Macy’s 28:18 A Mall for $10.5 Million 31:51 The Comic Store Holds On 36:09 The Last Store Standing 39:13 The Borough Takes Action 42:25 The Price of Demolition 46:41 What the Hill Is Worth Selected sources Brookline Connection — Brown’s Dump (n.d.) Abandoned — Century III Mall (n.d.) Matt Petras — What Happened? An Obituary for Century III Mall (2023) Mick Stinelli — Stores Face Uncertain Future As Century III Mall Nears Sheriff's Sale (2018) Sean Collier — New Dimensions: The Comic Book Store's Surprise Move (2019) Michael Korsh, Neena Hagen — Malls, Money and Moonbeam (2024; corrected 2025) WESA — 'A monument to blight': Century III Mall owner facing criminal charges over dilapidated property (2024) Allen Dieterich-Ward — Beyond Rust: Metropolitan Pittsburgh and the Fate of Industrial America (2016) Lucas Dufalla — 'Phenomenal' plan for Century III Mall site could emerge soon (2026) Mon Valley Independent / TribLive — Bid to redirect $1M Century III Mall demolition grant for road repairs rejected (2026) This documentary is not financial advice. Some scenes are illustrated with reconstructions. #CenturyIIIMall #RetailHistory #BusinessHistory About this film: some scenes are AI-generated reconstructions, used only where no original footage or photographs exist, and they are marked on screen as reconstructions. The narration is an AI voice. The script is researched and fact-checked against the sources listed above.