The Summit (Wheatfield)
Encyclopedia
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 store
s and tenants, but after the mall's developers filed for bankruptcy
protection in 2009, the complex was closed except for three anchor store
s: 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.
in Amherst
by 2004. Antiques Roadshow
also appeared as a visiting client. The original anchor store
s 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.
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.
In 1999, the Wheatfield town government's historical department opened a town history center in a small vacant store under the care of then town historian Charles D. Cederman, a local professional photographer. The local history center closed in 2002. 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, and soon afterwards an auction was held that saw the the center space's furnishings, potted trees, and equipment being sold off. Some of the largest potted trees ended up at Niagara County Community College
's new administration building in Sanborn, New York
. By 2011, the mall's center inline spaces were shuttered off, while its exterior windows and entrance ways were boarded up. The Summit Mall has since been mothballed and there are no known plans for a reopening. Some opinions have it that the mall suffered an early or slow demise partially on account of the Love Canal
disaster, which occurred only a mile away in suburban Niagara Falls across from the mall and robbed the mall of many local long term shoppers. Furthermore, the expansion of the Fashion Outlets Mall of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara throughout the 1990's undercut the Summit Mall's and the Rainbow Center's profits. The Summit also failed on account of its rural location compared to the Fashion Outlets Mall's more suburban location, which is closer to the Canadian border but outside of the nearly blighted Niagara Falls city center.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Wheatfield, New York
Wheatfield, New York
Wheatfield is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 18,117 at the 2010 census. The name stems from the agricultural use of the town lands: Growing Wheat....
. Opened in 1972, the mall became largely vacant by the late 1990s. It underwent renovations in 2004 and 2005 which added new anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s and tenants, but after the mall's developers filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
protection in 2009, the complex was closed except for three anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s: Sears, The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is a regional department store company based in York, Pennsylvania, chiefly operating 275 stores, including 11 furniture galleries, in 23 states throughout the northern United States. Stores carrying its namesake nameplate serve the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of...
and Save-A-Lot
Save-A-Lot
Save-a-Lot is a discount supermarket chain headquartered in Earth City, Missouri, near St. Louis, United States. The subsidiary of Supervalu comprises approximately 1,250 stores in the United States with over $4 billion in annual sales....
, with two more vacant anchors last occupied by Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
and a Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
closeout store.
History
The mall was among the most popular places in western New York and Niagara County to shop, tour, and gather both as a shopping center and as a community center since its opening day until its closure in 2009. It is a one level complex with a central food court originally containing a large oval-shaped pool with a central fountain that shot water up as high as twenty five feet in bursts. The court was later renovated in 2004 to include the removal of the expensive fountain, and it was replaced with more seating and a stage supporting a piano. In later years, the mall was also a convention center, hosting many charity events, socials, RV camper/car/boat shows, political and social rallies, craft shows, school and holiday events, fund raisers, contests, flea markets, and trade shows. The center axis in the mall contained several plantings and gardens, one of which held a separate sunken seating area within which one could access by any one of four small staircases leadning down to it. Toward the southern end of the mall and near The Bon-Ton was another seating gallery which originally contained a stage and later showcased a large carousal. The carousal was later moved to the Boulevard MallBoulevard Mall
Boulevard Mall, which opened in 1962, is a shopping mall located north of City of Buffalo at the western edge of the Town of Amherst in Erie County, New York, USA. The name derives from its location on Niagara Falls Boulevard , which divides Amherst from the Town of Tonawanda...
in Amherst
Amherst, New York
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 122,366. This represents an increase of 5.0% from the 2000 census. The town is named for Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer of the colonial period...
by 2004. Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
also appeared as a visiting client. The original anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s of Summit Park Mall were Sears and three local department stores: AM&A's
AM&A's
Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Company was a chain of department stores based in Buffalo, New York. It was an institution to generations of shoppers in the Buffalo area. The company remained family owned until its sale to The Bon-Ton in 1994....
(now The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is a regional department store company based in York, Pennsylvania, chiefly operating 275 stores, including 11 furniture galleries, in 23 states throughout the northern United States. Stores carrying its namesake nameplate serve the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of...
), Hens & Kelly and Jenss
Jenss
Jenss was a small chain of department stores in Western New York State. The company was founded in 1887 by the Jenss brothers in Lockport, New York. In 1951, Harold Dautch bought the company. In 1962, the company opened its flagship department store at the Boulevard Mall in Amherst, New York....
, with other major tenants including Child World
Child World
Child World was an American chain of toy stores that was founded in Avon, Massachusetts in 1970. Child World once boasted 182 stores and revenues of approximately $830 million annually...
and McCrory
McCrory Stores
J.G. McCrory's or McCrory Stores was a chain of five and dime stores in the United States based in York, Pennsylvania. The stores typically sold shoes, clothing, housewares, fabrics, penny candy, toys, cosmetics, and often included a lunch counter or snack bar...
. Hens & Kelly moved out in 1982, and remained vacant until October 1992, when Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
opened its first closeout store in the space.
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
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
, which opened in 2005 in the former Jenss space, a children's play center in the former McCrory and an aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
museum. The mall's sales increased by 18% in 2007.
In 1999, the Wheatfield town government's historical department opened a town history center in a small vacant store under the care of then town historian Charles D. Cederman, a local professional photographer. The local history center closed in 2002. Toys "R" Us closed its store in early 2006 as part of the chain's reorganization plan. Two years later, a Save-A-Lot
Save-A-Lot
Save-a-Lot is a discount supermarket chain headquartered in Earth City, Missouri, near St. Louis, United States. The subsidiary of Supervalu comprises approximately 1,250 stores in the United States with over $4 billion in annual sales....
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
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
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, and soon afterwards an auction was held that saw the the center space's furnishings, potted trees, and equipment being sold off. Some of the largest potted trees ended up at Niagara County Community College
Niagara County Community College
Niagara County Community College is located in Sanborn, New York, USA northeast of the City of Niagara Falls. NCCC offers associate's degrees in many programs. Niagara County Community College was founded in 1962 and is sponsored by Niagara County and SUNY. The new campus opened in 1973...
's new administration building in Sanborn, New York
Sanborn, New York
Sanborn is a hamlet in the Towns of Cambria Wheatfield, New York and Lewiston, New York, USA, on the southeast corner of the intersection of New York State Route 429 and New York State Route 31. Originally called South Pekin after the formerly thriving hamlet of Pekin to the north, Sanborn was...
. By 2011, the mall's center inline spaces were shuttered off, while its exterior windows and entrance ways were boarded up. The Summit Mall has since been mothballed and there are no known plans for a reopening. Some opinions have it that the mall suffered an early or slow demise partially on account of the Love Canal
Love Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
disaster, which occurred only a mile away in suburban Niagara Falls across from the mall and robbed the mall of many local long term shoppers. Furthermore, the expansion of the Fashion Outlets Mall of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara throughout the 1990's undercut the Summit Mall's and the Rainbow Center's profits. The Summit also failed on account of its rural location compared to the Fashion Outlets Mall's more suburban location, which is closer to the Canadian border but outside of the nearly blighted Niagara Falls city center.