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The Summit (Wheatfield, New York)

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Location
  
Wheatfield, New York

Closing date
  
2009

No. of stores and services
  
3 (98 at capacity)

Total retail floor area
  
7 ha

Number of anchor tenants
  
3 (5 at capacity)

Opening date
  
1972

Owner
  
Zoran Cocov

Opened
  
1972

Number of stores and services
  
3 (98 at capacity)

The Summit (Wheatfield, New York) httpslintvwivbfileswordpresscom201411summ

Developer
  
Forest City Enterprises

Similar
  
Rainbow Centre Factory O, Seneca Mall, Lockport Mall, Cohoes Commons, Camillus Plaza

The Summit, formerly Summit Park Mall, was an enclosed shopping mall in Wheatfield, New York. Opened in 1972, the mall became largely vacant by the late 1990s. It underwent renovations in 2004 and 2005 which added new anchor stores and tenants, but after the mall's developers filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009, the complex was closed except for three anchor stores: Sears, The Bon-Ton and Save-A-Lot, with two more vacant anchors last occupied by Steve & Barry's and a Macy's closeout store.

The Summit was located on Williams Road, and New York State Route 952V, south of US 62 (Niagara Falls Boulevard) and north of NY 265/NY 384 (River Road).

History

The original anchor stores of Summit Park Mall were Sears and three local department stores: AM&A's (now The Bon-Ton), Hens & Kelly and Jenss, with other major tenants including Child World and McCrory. Hens & Kelly moved out in 1982, and remained vacant until October 1992, when Macy's opened its first closeout store in the space.

Also in 1992, Child World closed its store, which was converted to a Toys "R" Us by year's end. The Macy's closeout store closed in 1995 and was never replaced by another anchor. By the late 1990s, the mall was 40% vacant, and its owners had expressed interest in converting portions of it to office space. Jenss closed in 1998.

In 2004, a local developer purchased the mall for $5 million, with plans to rename the complex Destination Niagara USA. At that point, the mall was 65% vacant. The mall was then renamed The Summit, and new tenants were added, including a Steve & Barry's, which opened in 2005 in the former Jenss space, a children's play center in the former McCrory and an aerospace museum. The mall's sales increased by 18% in 2007.

Toys "R" Us closed its store in early 2006 as part of the chain's reorganization plan. Two years later, a Save-A-Lot grocery store opened in half of the Toys "R" Us building. Steve & Barry's closed in 2008.

In May 2009, the mall's owners, Oberlin Plaza One, announced that the mall would close on June 6 following the company's filing for bankruptcy protection. At the time, twenty-five stores operated within the mall. The mall was allowed to stay open beyond this date after the U.S. Bankruptcy Court decided to extend the deadline for closure, although many of the twenty-five remaining tenants relocated. By August 2009, the mall's last three inline tenants moved out, leaving only Sears, The Bon-Ton and Save-A-Lot operational.

In January 2013, the mall building was flooded with up to six inches of water from a pipe, in what was believed by Niagara County police to be an act of vandalism. In March 2014 Zoran Cocov purchased the mall for 4.2 million dollars. Cocov revealed plans in late 2014 to revive the space adding stores, museums, a sportsplex, wine tasting center, and a business incubator. Cocov also received tax breaks for 700,000 dollars for five years for renovations to revive the space.

References

The Summit (Wheatfield, New York) Wikipedia