In news that should provide plenty of anguish and probably a chuckle from George A. Romero if he were still with us, the mall from Dawn of the Dead is being demolished. Is it being demolished for apartments? No. What about some new development? Well kind of.

The mall has been bought by Walmart and is being demolished to put in the Monroevilloe Mall Gateway. The commentary of Dawn of the Dead about American consumerism continues to be relevant. It’s been almost 50 years since Romero flimed in Pennsylvania’s Monroeville Mall, cementing its place in horror movie history. The mall has remained operational, even through the rough time that malls across the country have been going through. Walmart bought the property in a $34 million deal to “re-imagine Monroeville Mall into a new retail and commercial destination,”.

The Pittsburgh Magazine is reporting this week “South Saturn Ridge LLC, the name under which Walmart purchased the mall earlier this year for $34 million, is seeking $7.5 million from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to demolish the mall. It would make way for “Monroeville Mall Gateway” — a plan to create a ‘modern, mixed-use destination that strengthens the regional economy,’ according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.”

The current tenants of the mall have been told that they’ll need to vacate by April 2027, which is likely when the current mall will be demolished. The Monroeville Mall first opened in 1969 and less than 10 years later, the Romero classic immortalized the mall. It’s been a popular tourist destination for fans flocking to see the location up close and in person.

It remains to be seen just how much of the nods and love for George Romero at the mall will be salvaged. There’s a bronze bust of Romero commemorating the location’s cinematic legacy and The Living Dead Museum at the mall.

It’s not new for a corporation to not give a rat’s ass about history, especially film history. This would be another in a long line of classic flim locations being demolished for short term gain. it’s sad to see that they have plans to demolish this classic film location from Dawn of the Dead. At least fans know the timeline for the demolition and have the chance to make their way to pay their final respects to one of the most classic film locations ever.

At least we’ll have all the memories.

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