Best Buy in Pittsburgh Mills mall complex to close

The Best Buy in Frazer will close at the end of March.

According to Kevin Flanagan, a spokesman for the electronics giant, the company's lease with the property manager, Johnstown-based real estate firm Zamias, will end March 31 and will not be renewed.

“This is a tough situation for us in general,” Flanagan said. “This isn't a decision that we take lightly, but this is an everyday business decision for us.”

The store has suffered from the same regional economic problems that affected the Mills mall's ability to flourish, Flanagan said, and as a result his company chose not to renew its lease.

“In particular, this area has experienced a lot of economic decline,” he said.

Flanagan said the store employs 23 full-time staff and a handful of part-time employees.

Those full-time employees will have an opportunity to apply at other regional Best Buy locations or will be offered a severance, he said.

Lori Ziencik, chairwoman of the Frazer supervisors, said a reporter's request for comment on the store's closing was the first she had heard of it.

A spokesman for Zamias did not return a request for comment.

Matthew Medsger is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4675, mmedsger@tribweb.com or via Twitter @matthew_medsger.