Seneca Mall

Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Seneca Mall
location = West Seneca, New York
number_of_stores = 60
number_of_anchors = 3
floors = 1

Seneca Mall, which opened in 1969, was a shopping mall south of Buffalo, New York, USA. The mall was located in the Town of West Seneca at the intersection of Ridge Road (Erie CR 137) and Slade Avenue (Erie CR 91) immediately east of the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90).

The William Hengerer Company originally sought to develop a location on this site in the early 1960's. This eventually lead to the development and opening of the Mall in 1969 in direct competition to The Thruway Plaza. [ cite web|url=http://wnyheritagepress.org/photos_week_2006/thruway_plaza/thruway_plaza.htm |title=The Thruway Plaza: Western New York's Pioneer Suburban Shopping Plaza |accessdate=2007-12-03 ] Seneca Mall at that time housed local chain Sattler's. [ cite web|url=http://www.forgottenbuffalo.com/forgottenbuffalolost/sattlers998.html |title=WELCOME TO FORGOTTEN BUFFALO |accessdate=2007-12-03 ] [ cite web|url=http://www.pbase.com/kjosker/image/23324013 |title=Sattler's, 998 Broadway, Buffalo, NY|accessdate=2007-12-03 ]

Seneca Mall was the major mall in the southtowns of Buffalo from its opening in 1969 through the 1980s. In 1985, the McKinley Mall opened in Hamburg less than three miles away. Seneca hung on until 1989 when the Walden Galleria opened in Cheektowaga. At that time, all of the mall anchors vacated as well as most of the specialty stores and restaurants. The mall soldiered on until 1994 finally becoming a haven for mall walkers with no retailers. In 1994, the mall's owners, The Pyramid Company elected to demolish the mall and put a power center in its place, The Shops at West Seneca.

The Pyramid Company, which also owns the Walden Galleria, elected to build a power center on the site once the mall and outlying buildings were demolished. The center, known as the Shops at West Seneca, saw its first tenant, Tops Markets open in May 1997. Although many elaborate plans were put on the table by Pyramid, a Kmart store is the only other development. A majority of the former mall remains fenced off. The big signs of Senaca Mall's entries are still standing as the only standing remains from 1969, reading "TOPS", with "Shops at West Seneca" above. The town of West Seneca has many times attempted to push Pyramid into developing the site with no results. Many locals assume that Pyramid in no way wants to develop any retail center that will encroach on its popular Walden Galleria.

Former Anchors

* Gutman's - Original mini-anchor, located next to JCPenney, closed 12/24/89.
* Hengerer's - Original anchor, located at the south end of the mall. Converted to Sibley's in 1981.
* JCPenney - Original anchor, located at the north end of the mall. Closed in April 1989.
* Kleinhans - Original mini-anchor, located at center court, closed in 1990.
* L.L. Berger - Original mini-anchor, located next to Hengerer's/Sibley's, closed 1989.
* The Sample - Original mini-anchor, located just south of center court, closed 12/24/89.
* Sattler's - Original anchor, located on the east side of the mall at center court. Closed in Fall 1982.
* Sibley's - Converted from Hengerer's in 1981, closed in April 1989.

See also

* Walden Galleria
* The Summit
* Eastern Hills Mall
* Boulevard Mall

References