Shopping malls in Niagara County

Niagara County, New York has one major shopping mall, Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA. A Second mall, The Summit. closed in June 2009 but Sears, Bon Ton and Save A Lot are still open. A third mall, Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet, closed in 2000. A fourth mall, Lockport Mall, opened in 1971, but closed in 2007.
The Summit
The Summit (formerly the Summit Park Mall) is a 800,000 square feet (75,000 square meters) shopping mall located in Wheatfield, New York, about seven miles (11 km) from the Falls and from Canada. The mall opened with great fanfare in 1972 and then expanded in 1979, with 5 large anchor tenants: Sears, AM&A's, later purchased by The Bon-Ton, Hens & Kelly, a Child World, later purchased by , and Jenss. There were also two midsized tenants McCrory & Co and The Sample Shop. The mall did extremely well through the '70s, '80s, and early '90s.For a brief time Macys operated MCO (Macys Closeout) in the former Hens & Kelly space. But in the early '90s the regional department store Sample Shop closed, the value of the Canadian dollar began to drop, at the same time as the advent of power centers, category killer big box stores, and Wal-Mart's expansion; these factors combined to slaughter the malls of the 1970s and '80s. In 1998 regional department store Jenss left the mall and the space remained vacant until 2005.
In 2005 the mall got a new image, and the name changed to The Summit. The interiors are now extensively skylit with open ceilings and new lighting. The exteriors have been upgraded with new improved access and canopied entries, along with new landscaping and lighting. Also in 2005 a new anchor came to the mall; Steve and Barry's, which opened in the former Jenss. In early 2006 anchor decided it would leave the mall.In 2007 Save-A-Lot announced it would replace Toys R Us. Also in 2007 Rainbow Shops opened a large location near The Bon Ton. (Rainbow pulled out, however, in 2009).
Mall redeveloper Jim Anthony, of Anthony & Co. ONCOR International in Raleigh, North Carolina was hoping to re-tenant the property with local and regional tenants, while creating "Niagara's Indoor Downtown". Anthony's plan included creating premiere "micro-retailing" experiences such as the Niagara Emporium and Van Winkles Crafts, where local crafts and gift makers can sell their often handmade wares in a co-op environment.
Entertainment and events were now a major part of the redevelopment strategy as well. For example, during the summer months, the Summit hosted a farmer's market weekly as well as the region's largest Cruise Night with 3000 or more people in attendance regularly. Karaoke, concerts, plays, dances, trade shows, parties and events of all kinds frequented the mall's three large courts: Fashion Court, Center Court and North Court.
However, the mall may not survive the worsening economy. As of May 5 of 2009, the mall's owners announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the general closing of the entire interior mall, (with the exception of the anchor stores, on account of the fact that each one of those stores own their own plots.) At the same time, the remaining tenants in the mall, now numbering around twenty stores and outlets, were told that by June 6 they had to vacate. Among those final tenants were those already recently vacated from the redeveloping Fashion Outlets Mall nearby in the Town of Niagara, including Phase Id (a Goth and Anime-oriented retail and fan store), Beacon (a Christian-oriented store), and Cut and Shop (hair salon).
Other current tenants include Niagara County Community College Business and Nursing Annex, a call center; NuComm International, Wheatfield Community Church, Tuxedo Junction, Subway, a Hallmark Gold Crown store, Summit Park Pharmacy, Avon Outlet Store, Macries (an Italian restaurant), Bon-Worth (woman's retail store), Guitar Center, DEB, Summit Events Center, an indoor children's park, a bar, a motorcycle tutoring and ridership school, and a Civil War History learning center.
In Wheatfield, the town in which the mall resides, the supervisor, Timothy E. Demler advocated for continuing operations at the mall and that he planned to get new owners involved in its swift purchase. He also proposed, as of May 6 of 2009, that the mall should remain open for an additional sixty days rather than thirty, to give the supervisor and his administration enough time to complete the tasks. The mall's owners agreed to the proposal. Other community leaders are also expected to get involved.
With the possible closure of the Summit Mall, the first large-scale mall to open in Niagara County, the only mall operating near Niagara Falls is now the Fashion Outlets Mall, located in the Town of Niagara. That mall is expected to transfer to Canadian ownership in the near future.
Experts point out that the closure of the once-popular Summit Mall is not shocking, given that the rise of internet shopping, Wal-Mart -like retail giants, trade deficits and the lagging economy have all contributed to the general failure of many shopping malls throughout the United States.
The closure could also result in the layoff of over 200 people, although the mall's owners are currently assisting in the relocation of several tenants to other areas.
Current anchors
* Sears - Opened 1972
* The Bon-Ton - . Opened 1995
* Save-A-Lot - . Opened 2008
Former anchors
* AM&A's - . Opened 1979, (bought by Bon Ton)
* Hens and Kelly - closed in the early 1980s
* Jenss - Opened 1972, Closed 1998
* Child World - Opened 1974, bought by Toys R Us
* - . Opened 1992, closed 2006
* Niagara Aerospace Museum Opened 1994, Relocated to Downtown Niagara Falls in 2001
* The Sample Shop - closed early 1990s
* MCO - Macys Close Out - closed 1997
* Steve and Barry's - Opened 2005, chain closed 2008
Fashion Outlets Niagara Falls
Fashion Outlets Niagara Falls is a super-regional outlet mall on Military Road in the Town of Niagara. The mall opened in 1971 as the Niagara Factory Outlet. The mall did very well until 1982 when the Rainbow Mall opened in downtown Niagara Falls. In 1996 Prime Outlets bought the mall and did very well until 2005 when Prime Outlets filed for Chapter 11 and the mall was sold to Talisman Companies. A major renovation of the mall's exterior took place from 2006-2007.
Some outlets include: Off Saks 5th Avenue, Coach, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Esprit, Banana Republic, Oakley, Anne Taylor Loft, Lindt, J. Crew, Old Navy, Adidas, Payless ShoeSource, KB Toys, Sketchers Outlet, Sunglass Hut, and Eddie Bauer Outlet. Some of the eateries in the food court are Subway, , Pita Gourmet, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Lotus Express, (a former Panda Express), Dunkin' Donuts, Teriyaki Delight, and La Rosa's Pizza. Sit-down restaurants at the out mall include Applebee's and Honey's.
With the rising Canadian dollar against the US Dollar in 2007, the mall is frequently visited by Canadians from Southwestern Ontario. One mall official indicated that 60-70% of their customers are Canadians. The mall continues to experience strong growth in 2007.
Names
* Niagara Factory Outlet 1971-1996
* Prime Outlets Niagara Falls USA 1996-2006
* The Outlets at Niagara Falls USA 2006
* Fashion Outlets at Niagara Falls USA 2006-present
Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet
Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet was a shopping mall located in downtown Niagara Falls. The mall opened in 1982 as a two floor shopping center to help revive downtown Niagara Falls. The mall also had one major anchor, Biers Department Store, which after closing the space became the Burlington Coat Factory. The mall attracted shoppers from Canada, and did well through the 80s and early 90s, but in 1996 Niagara Factory Outlet (which was the mall's biggest competitor at the time) became Prime Outlets Niagara Falls USA. All of the mall's outlets moved to the newly revived outlet mall. Rainbow Centre Mall finally closed in September 2000. As of 2008, the mall is still vacant, completely untouched since its closure in 2000. Despite the closure, the mall was still wide open and unlocked until October 15, 2005, when OTB (which was located inside the otherwise vacant mall) closed its doors.
Former anchors
* Burlington Coat Factory - Opened 1983, Closed 1997
Beirs Department Store Closed 1983
Lockport Mall
Lockport Mall opened in 1971 with AM&A's, Montgomery Ward and Hills Department Stores (later Ames) as its anchors. The mall remained open until the mid-2000s, when the majority of its tenants exited for the proposed construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Since 2006, the only operational tenant at the mall has been The Bon-Ton, which acquired the AM&A's in 1995.

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