WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – A national off-price retailer is making moves in Lehigh County.
A Forman Mills store, part of a national chain offering brand-name clothing and other merchandise at a fraction of traditional retail prices, is expected to open in September at 1223 Whitehall Mall in Whitehall Township, according to an announcement on the business’ Facebook page.
It will represent a relocation of a Whitehall Forman Mills store that previously operated less than a mile away at 2150 MacArthur Road.
A location of Forman Mills previously operated at 2150 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township. The store is relocating to a nearby Whitehall spot at 1223 Whitehall Mall.
Ryan Kneller
The former MacArthur Road location closed on July 5 to facilitate the move.
At its new 1223 Whitehall Mall spot, Forman Mills will occupy an updated space that previously housed a Bed Bath & Beyond store, which closed in 2023.
Forman Mills, known for offering designer and everyday fashions at “ridiculously low prices,” operates 49 stores nationwide, including a new store that opened in May on Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, according to a news release.
Four additional Forman Mills stores are expected to open by the end of the year in Massachusetts, New York and Indiana, according to the business’ website.
A location of Forman Mills is coming soon to space that previously housed a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Whitehall Township.
Ryan Kneller
Forman Mills customers can find discounts of up to 80% off regular department store prices across a wide assortment of categories including men’s, women’s and children’s fashions; school uniforms, backpacks and supplies; footwear and accessories; toys and licensed character merchandise; health and beauty essentials; home decor and more.
Nationally recognized brands include Adidas, Dove, Disney, True Religion, Reebok, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Fisher-Price and PUMA, among others.
Joining a growing tenant lineup
Forman Mills’ new Whitehall location will operate in the Whitehall Plaza, formerly known as Whitehall Mall, which was acquired in the spring by Miami-based Mishorim Gold Properties.
Over the past few years, the more than 400,000-square-foot shopping center, at Grape Street and MacArthur Road, has seen several tenants come and go under previous owner Washington Prime Group.
Recent additions include new locations of specialty hard-surface flooring retailer Floor & Decor (2023), indoor rock climbing gym franchise The Gravity Vault (2025) and convenience store and gas station chain Wawa (2026).
Tenants departing the Whitehall Plaza over the past couple of years include footwear retailer Shoe Carnival, women’s plus-size clothing retailer Lane Bryant and high-growth value retailer Five Below, with the latter relocating to Whitehall’s MacArthur Commons shopping center in February.
Now, under Mishorim Gold’s control, Whitehall Plaza is finding new life by filling longstanding vacancies, including large spaces that previously housed retailers Bed Bath & Beyond, buy buy Baby and Michaels, the latter of which moved across Grape Street to the Lehigh Valley Mall in 2020.
A location of Floor & Decor opened in 2023 at 1259 Whitehall Mall in Whitehall Township.
Ryan Kneller
More than 100,000 square feet of space is now under contract, with Forman Mills set to occupy nearly 44,000 square feet, according to Keagan Haflich, Mishorim Gold’s national property manager.
Across the parking lot, indoor entertainment facility Lululand Adventure Park is set to occupy a newly formed space, totaling more than 53,000 square feet, which previously comprised two separate units – one that was home to buy buy Baby and another that was home to Michaels and later seasonal Spirit Halloween and Spirit Christmas stores.
Additionally, Ziyad Market, offering a wide array of international groceries, is set to occupy a 7,200-square-foot space that most recently housed Five Below.
Ziyad Market is expected to open at the Whitehall Plaza by the end of the year, while the new location of Lululand – an expansive indoor entertainment facility – will likely take a little longer to complete, Haflich said.
A new location of Lululand Adventure Park, an indoor entertainment facility, is coming soon to the Whitehall Plaza in Whitehall Township.
Ryan Kneller
Lululand, with more than a half dozen locations open or coming soon in multiple states, features trampoline and foam pit areas, multi-level play structures, ninja courses, aerial gliders, climbing walls, arcade games and more.
“We’re not just another indoor trampoline park; we’re a community hub built on the belief that active play has the power to create magical family memories,” reads a message on Lululand’s website. “Our mission is simple: to provide a fun, safe, and clean environment where children can jump, explore, and grow, while parents enjoy complete peace of mind.”
As specialists in commercial real estate and retail real estate, Mishorim Gold revitalizes shopping centers and underutilized retail properties throughout North America.
The company’s strategic approach leverages smart investment, innovative design and community-focused development to drive strong returns and neighborhood revitalization.
With over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, the business’ team is passionate about unlocking the value of properties and “transforming aging retail spaces into vibrant community destinations,” according to a business description.
Mark Gold, president of Mishorim Gold, oversees more than 6 million square feet of commercial real estate across North America, and his leadership is defined by an ability to convert distressed shopping centers into thriving hubs.
A notable success was the Jacksonville, Florida-based Regency Court Shopping Center, where Gold increased occupancy from 30% to 85%, injecting new vitality into the local retail environment.
Haflich labels Gold a “real true visionary.”
Ryan Kneller
“[Gold] comes in and just does really big things with amazing ideas,” Haflich told 69 News in May.
“A lot of people and tenants follow him wherever he goes. It’s a pleasure for us to both learn from him and work with him.”
Haflich is relocating to the Whitehall area for at least a year to help spearhead the Whitehall Plaza’s revitalization.
Renovations are currently underway on various retail spaces as well as the shopping center’s façade. Upgrades to the shopping center’s indoor portion are expected to begin soon.
Mishorim Gold has already tapped top architects and designers to bring a refreshed look to the center, Haflich added.
The overhaul also will include lighting upgrades, new landscaping and improvements to the parking lot.
“I work within a company that will take over a property like this and have it at 100% occupancy pretty darn fast,” Haflich said.
“We do a lot of big things. So, the whole place is going to get a very serious facelift – new paint job for the whole shopping center, and the interior of the mall is going to get a really big facelift as well. We don’t like to waste time. We like to flip things upside down quickly and create really awesome spaces for the community.”
Whitehall Mall opened along Whitehall’s Grape Street in 1966 with more than 50 stores, including then-popular retailers Woolworth and Zollinger’s department store.
Other former prominent tenants include Leh’s, Clover and The Plaza movie theater.
In 2020, the mall also bid farewell to longtime tenants Sears and Old Country Buffet.
About a dozen tenants currently operate at the shopping center, including Kohl’s, Men’s Wearhouse, Comic Masters and Bellisima Nails, among others.