Gander Mountain closing at Crown Center
Gander Mountain at Washington Crown Center posted “store closing” signs announcing discounts on merchandise.
Gander Mountain at Washington Crown Center is selling off merchandise at a steep discount before its closing.
The Gander Mountain store at Washington Crown Center is making preparations to go out of business.
Passing motorists at the West Chestnut Street entrance to the North Franklin Township Mall Friday saw a person holding up a “going out of business” sign for the outdoors store.
Mall manager Civil Knox said Friday there were similar types of signs posted at the store, but that the St. Paul, Minn.-based chain had not notified the mall of its intention to close.
A store employee said later Friday that the store would be closing and is currently in liquidation, but directed other inquiries to the chain’s corporate headquarters.
Calls to Gander Mountain spokeswoman Jess Myers at company headquarters in St. Paul went unanswered Thursday and Friday.
Mike Kohan, whose Kohan Retail Investment Group in Great Neck, N.Y., purchased the mall from Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust in August, did not return calls Friday seeking comment on the store’s status.
Privately held Gander Mountain announced in mid-January that it was closing its stores in Moon Township and West Mifflin, and has been liquidating other stores around the country. In addition to Washington, it continues to operate stores in Monroeville, which opened in April 2016, and Greensburg.
Gander Mountain opened at the mall July 25, 2003, in an 85,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by both Hill’s and Ames department stores. It offers a full line of equipment and accessories for hunting, fishing and camping enthusiasts. The preparations for closing of the Gander Mountain store follows last month’s announcement by Macy’s that it will close its store at the mall in early spring.