Potential buyer of Century III Mall property talks to district attorney
The future of the Century III Mall property in West Mifflin is potentially looking brighter after years of litigation.
As crews finish bringing down the rest of the structure, the Allegheny County district attorney said he recently spoke with a potential buyer. In the past two years, the former shopping center property has come a long way, with progress that borough leaders struggled to achieve for more than a decade.
"If we could just get the potholes filled, that would have been a step, and we couldn't even get that," said Dan Davis, vice president of the West Mifflin Borough Council.
Since before the last part of the mall closed in 2019, the borough had problems with its owners, Moonbeam Capital.
Litigation went back and forth civilly to the point where leadership needed the help of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, who eventually filed nuisance charges in January 2024. By April that year, the company finally started taking down the condemned structure.
"We had a problem, a major problem, that affected a lot of people in this community. It truly was a monument of blight, and the recalcitrance of the defendant was just something that they couldn't, West Mifflin, couldn't overcome on the civil side," Zappala said.
Now, all that's left standing is the Sears store and some of the foundational structure about 50 to 60 feet underground.
The demolition remains the responsibility of its owners, along with repairing the access road that closed last year due to safety concerns, liability, and financial burdens. Zappala also said Moonbeam still owes the borough approximately $500,000 in damages, subject to restitution.
"We're looking for the day that we can have this property redeveloped, back on some tax rolls, and help the community," Davis said.
This day may come sooner than they could imagine, as Zappala said a potential buyer named Steve Panko visited him a few weeks ago to share that he's in a pending transaction with Moonbeam. Zappala said Panko had a site plan for a multi-use development with about 10 parcels, and that he made sure to tell him the responsibilities of owning this property.
"I said, 'You understand the criminal liability for this runs with the land, right? So if you're saying you're the owner of the property, and you control the site, I'm looking to you. You're going to take care of it,'" Zappala said.
Zappala said the deal appears solid, but Panko couldn't provide him with documentation or any lawyers to talk to.
KDKA reached out to Panko, who provided the following statement as the owner of a company called Brightside Real Estate:
"Brightside Real Estate is very excited about the opportunity to revitalize the former Century III Mall site and bring new life to West Mifflin and the surrounding communities. With more than 90 acres, this is a significant redevelopment, so our focus right now is on careful evaluation—looking closely at overall costs, infrastructure needs, internal and off-site roadway improvements, and identifying the right mix of high-quality retail, medical, and residential uses. Our goal is to deliver a cohesive, well-planned development that truly serves the town and the region, and we look forward to sharing a comprehensive vision later this spring."
He wouldn't comment on the litigation except to say, "I'm sure all will be good in time."
"We're hopefully getting to the point with the help of Mr. Zappala to getting something redone at that location, because it would be a great asset to not just West Mifflin, but the region," said Brian Kamauf, West Mifflin's borough manager.
Zappala hopes crews can finish demolishing the structure this spring. KDKA reached out to Moonbeam for comment, but did not hear back on Wednesday.