Nittany Mall partially reopens after underground water leak. Here’s what we know
Nittany Mall in College Township at least partially reopened Friday after an underground water leak the prior evening forced it to temporarily shut down.
Assistant township manager Mike Bloom told the CDT that the anchor stores such as Gabe’s and Dunham’s Sports reopened around 1:45 p.m. Friday, although no information about closing or reopening was posted on the mall’s official website or social media. Mall officials also did not respond to multiple messages from the CDT.
Yellow signs were posted at all the mall entrances Thursday by Centre Region Code Enforcement to indicate the forced closure. By 8:30 p.m. Friday, those signs were removed, indicating the mall would be able to open at its usual time Saturday at 10 a.m.
“We’re going to be as responsive as we possibly can, that once that fix is done to get the mall back up and operating,” Walt Schneider, director of Centre Region Code Enforcement, said early Friday. Code Enforcement had the final say on whether the mall could safely reopen.
Based on interviews and public emergency services information, Alpha Fire Company responded to a “major water leak” at the mall around 2:45 p.m. Thursday. The leak, which resulted from a break in what’s essentially a privately owned water main, caused issues with the mall’s fire suppression system — and that’s why Centre Region Code Enforcement deemed the mall unsafe and forced it to close.
The mall shut down about 6 p.m. Thursday. The exception was Rural King, which operates on a slightly different water system because that part of the mall was constructed later.
On early Friday morning, a College Township vehicle was seen on mall property alongside two trucks from Maxwell Companies, the mall’s contractor. Bloom told the CDT the two were coordinating closely.
“As the water provider to the Mall, (College Township Water Authority’s) role is to ensure that the repairs being made to their private fire line are done satisfactorily to allow for successful recharge of water to the Mall’s waterline system,” Bloom said in an email.
The mall’s hours are typically 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The mall will be closed this Sunday for Easter.
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 11:26 AM.
