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The Tri-State Mall was a shopping mall located on Delaware Route 92 (locally known as "Naamans Road") in
Claymont, Delaware Claymont is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware. The estimated 2017 population of the 19703 ZIP code, which Claymont encompasses, was 15,292. History The community now known as Claymont started on the banks of Naamans ...
. The mall was closed in November 2015. At , it was the state's fourth-biggest mall, with approximately fifty shops. It is located just off of Interstate 95 and is less than a mile from the
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
/
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
border. By 2017, the only anchor store left was
Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with i ...
with a space previously occupied by
Kmart Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. The company was inc ...
still vacant. A large percentage of shoppers are from Pennsylvania, wishing to take advantage of Delaware's tax free shopping.


History

The mall opened in 1967, featuring Grant City and Wilmington Dry Goods as its anchor stores. The mall housed numerous niche stores, eateries, and other retailers throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In November 1970 the Cinemagic movie theater opened in the mall. Grant City became
Kmart Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. The company was inc ...
in 1976, while Wilmington Dry Goods became
Value City Value City was an American discount department store chain with 113 locations. It was founded in 1917 by Ephraim Schottenstein, a travelling salesman in central Ohio. The store was an off-price retailer that sold clothing, jewelry, and home good ...
. Value City closed in 2008 due to the chains bankruptcy and became
Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with i ...
. Residents of nearby
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
were drawn to the mall due to the lack of sales tax in
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
as well as its proximity to Interstate 95. Before
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
acquired the
Powerball Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). From its inaugural drawing on April 19, 1992, unti ...
lottery game, residents of the state would often travel to the mall's "Tobacco Express" retailer in order to purchase tickets.


Decline

The mall began its decline in the 1990s, as a consequence of the construction of larger malls in
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, as well as increased levels of crime in Claymont and its surrounding communities (including the nearby
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
towns of Chester and Marcus Hook). The Kmart store closed in early December 2014. In June 2016, Claymont residents considered ideas for redevelopment of the area, including the mall. In August 2017, the Burlington Coat Factory relocated to Rocky Run on Concord Pike, leaving no anchors left. Some time in 2019, the upper level, indoor mall and the main parking lot were taken over by a local manufacturing business that is using the space as a warehouse. The outdoor lower level is still being used as retail space for several stores as of Jan 2021.


Layout

The mall included a single-level, enclosed building arranged in a cross pattern. Exterior stairs on the building's eastern end lead to an adjacent
strip mall A strip mall, strip center or strip plaza is a type of shopping center common in North America where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front. ...
of stores on the lower level of the property's parking lot. As of 2020 there are two vacant anchors last occupied by
Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,000 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, with i ...
and
Kmart Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States. The company was inc ...
. The strip section once included a Silo.


List of anchor stores


References

{{Philadelphia Malls Shopping malls in Delaware Defunct shopping malls in the United States Shopping malls established in 1970 Buildings and structures in New Castle County, Delaware