ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The first step to turning the former Bon-Ton at the South Mall into a Giant grocery store has begun.
Crews began demolition efforts this month with hopes to make the move from Giant's current store at 3015 W Emaus Ave. to its new home at 3300 Lehigh St.
"I believe their target is toward later in 2025," Salisbury Township Assistant Manager Sandy Nicolo told LehighValleyNews.com. "Toward the winter/fall is their target."
"A larger and updated store will allow us to offer our Allentown-area families the latest amenities while underscoring our commitment to providing our customers with great value, the best quality and friendly service they’ve come to expect from GIANT."GIANT company President John Ruane in a release
Giant first announced the move in November 2023, noting the increase in space the new location would offer.
According to Lehigh County parcel data, plans show that the Giant on Emaus Avenue has 50,856 square feet. The Lehigh Street location is expected to offer 68,000 square feet, a release from Giant said.
"After 35 years at our current location on West Emmaus Avenue, it’s time to grow our store footprint and move a little further up the road," GIANT company President John Ruane said in the November 2023 release.
"A larger and updated store will allow us to offer our Allentown-area families the latest amenities while underscoring our commitment to providing our customers with great value, the best quality and friendly service they’ve come to expect from GIANT."
Additional changes
In a Facebook post announcing the new tenant, South Mall responded to a commenter that other changes would include a "brand new parking lot, traffic patterns and the Giant Gas Station too!"
Plans for the location cross Salisbury Township and Allentown, Nicolo said.
The project at the former Bon-Ton falls under Salisbury's jurisdiction, while Giant needed to seek approval from Allentown for its gas station, which would be installed near the Mavis Tire & Auto Service Center.
The current Giant gas station on Emaus Ave. operates with six gas pumps total and sells unleaded, plus and premium gasoline.
The City of Allentown did not respond to an email from LehighValleyNews.com with details about plans for the new gas station in the South Mall lot.
Those plans shouldn't interfere with the mall's famed Food Truck Thursdays that kick off in May, since the event takes place on the south side of the parking lot, Nicolo said.
The mall posted a Facebook event on Jan. 2 for the first Food Truck Thursday on May 1 with the same time and location — "4-8 p.m. weekly in South Mall's Main Parking lot!"
The mall posted another update on Jan. 10, alerting customers that demolition efforts would begin this month. Many responded with concerns about the parking lot.
"Hope plans include another entrance and exit to lot," Melissa Mackaravitz said.
"If they don't, then this location will be an absolute nightmare," Staci Miller responded. "I won't even bother to go anymore, and I shop at Giant every week."
'Traffic improvements' expected
The mall previously replied to a similar comment on its initial post announcing Giant as an upcoming tenant, saying "The entire parking lot is being reconfigured."
Nicolo confirmed that with LehighValleyNews.com.
"They are getting PennDOT approval to redesign the entrance and exit of the mall."Salisbury Township Assistant Manager Sandy Nicolo
"They are getting PennDOT approval to redesign the entrance and exit of the mall," Nicolo said Wednesday. "So yeah, they're going to make improvements to the traffic."
Changes are coming to internal entrances and exits, too.
Where customers previously could enter the Bon-Ton from inside the mall, the South Mall responded to another comment in August indicating Giant would not do the same.
"They will not be keeping the inside entrance," the South Mall's comment said.
Construction plans are currently with Salisbury Township's third-party inspector for review and Nicolo said they anticipate on receiving them in a few weeks.
