Chautauqua Mall

Chautauqua Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Lakewood, New York. It opened in 1971 under the development of Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., whose shopping-center business later became part of Simon Property Group. The mall was established with a traditional regional-shopping-center tenant mix that included Sears, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Quality Markets. Over time, its anchor configuration changed substantially as department-store and discount chains entered and exited the market. The mall's history reflects the broader evolution of enclosed American malls. JCPenney initially departed in 1986, and much of its former space was converted for Jamesway, which used the location as its 100th store and as a replacement for its original store in nearby Jamestown. Jamesway and Woolworth both closed in 1993, while Quality Markets relocated to a site outside the mall. JCPenney returned in 1997 to part of the former Jamesway premises. The former Woolworth space was enlarged and redeveloped for Bon-Ton, while another portion of the former Jamesway area later became an OfficeMax location. During the late 1990s, Chautauqua Mall added a number of national specialty retailers, including Old Navy, Gap and GapKids, Spencer Gifts, Electronics Boutique, and Hallmark Cards. A food court also opened, although its restaurant lineup changed repeatedly. The original food-court operators withdrew in 1999, prompting a temporary closure, followed by a reopening featuring Orange Julius, Hot Stuff Pizza, and Mean Gene's Burgers. Those restaurants had departed by 2002, after which the food court reopened with local operators and a Subway. The property has increasingly incorporated freestanding restaurant and value-oriented retail uses. Olive Garden opened in front of the mall in 2013. Bon-Ton closed on August 29, 2018, reflecting the wider contraction of traditional department stores. Ollie's Bargain Outlet was announced as a future tenant in February 2021, adding a discount-retail component. Kohan Retail Investment Group became the mall's owner in 2022, with Summit Properties USA also identified in reference material in connection with ownership and management. In 2024, local zoning and planning approvals authorized construction of adjacent Chipotle and Popeyes restaurants near Olive Garden. Joann Fabrics closed in May 2025 after its parent chain went out of business. The mall remains an active local retail property rather than a globally recognized consumer brand. Its current identity is based on serving the Lakewood and greater Jamestown-area market through a combination of enclosed-mall shops, anchor or large-format tenants, discount retail, fitness, and nearby restaurant development. The listed anchor tenants are Planet Fitness and JCPenney, although tenant occupancy and operating status can change over time.

Chautauqua Mall opened in 1971 in Lakewood, New York. It was developed by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., a prominent American shopping-center developer whose company later became part of Simon Property Group. The original anchor lineup consisted of Sears, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Quality Markets, reflecting the department-store, variety-store, and supermarket combination common in regional malls of the period. The first major restructuring occurred in 1986, when JCPenney vacated its store. Most of the former JCPenney area was converted into a Jamesway store, while the remaining portion became Present Company. The Jamesway location was notable within the chain because it was the company's 100th store and served as a replacement for Jamesway's first store, which had been located in nearby Jamestown. The mall's original anchor structure weakened in the early 1990s. Jamesway and Woolworth both closed in 1993, and Quality Markets moved from the interior mall environment to an external location. In 1997, JCPenney returned to part of the former Jamesway space. The former Woolworth premises were expanded into a roughly 60,000-square-foot Bon-Ton department store. Another section of the former Jamesway space was subsequently occupied by OfficeMax. The late 1990s brought a broader specialty-retail refresh. New or relocated tenants included Old Navy, Gap, GapKids, Spencer Gifts, Electronics Boutique, and Hallmark Cards. A food court was also introduced. It closed in 1999 after the original operator of its restaurant businesses withdrew from the mall, but reopened in the same year with Orange Julius, Hot Stuff Pizza, and Mean Gene's Burgers. Those tenants had all left by 2002; the food court later reopened with local businesses and a Subway. The property expanded beyond its enclosed retail footprint in 2013 when an Olive Garden restaurant opened in front of the mall. The next major anchor departure came on August 29, 2018, when Bon-Ton closed. This was part of a broader period of department-store contraction across the United States. In February 2021, the mall announced that Ollie's Bargain Outlet would open, adding a value-oriented retailer to the tenant mix. Ownership changed in 2022, when Kohan Retail Investment Group became the owner of Chautauqua Mall. Reference material also identifies Summit Properties USA in connection with the property's ownership and management. In June 2024, local zoning and planning board proceedings authorized construction of Chipotle and Popeyes restaurants side by side near the existing Olive Garden. In May 2025, Joann Fabrics closed after the craft retailer's chain went out of business. Chautauqua Mall's development illustrates the transition from a classic department-store-anchored mall toward a more varied commercial property model. Its tenant history includes traditional department stores, discount operators, specialty apparel, electronics, craft retail, fitness, and restaurant outparcels. The mall continues to operate in Lakewood as a local retail destination, with JCPenney and Planet Fitness identified as its principal anchor tenants in the available reference material.

• 2025

  Joann Fabrics closes

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Joann Fabrics closed in May 2025 following the craft retailer chain's business failure.

• 2024

  Chipotle and Popeyes receive development authorization

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Local zoning and planning boards authorized construction of adjacent Chipotle and Popeyes restaurants near Olive Garden.

• 2022

  Kohan Retail Investment Group takes ownership

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kohan Retail Investment Group became the new owner of the mall.

• 2021

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet announced

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall announced that Ollie's Bargain Outlet would open at the property.

• 2018

  Bon-Ton closes

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Bon-Ton anchor store closed on August 29, 2018.

• 2013

  Olive Garden opens near the mall

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  An Olive Garden restaurant opened in front of Chautauqua Mall, strengthening its surrounding restaurant offering.

• 1999

  Food court reopens with new operators

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  After closing because of the withdrawal of its original restaurant operator, the food court reopened with Orange Julius, Hot Stuff Pizza, and Mean Gene's Burgers.

• 1997

  JCPenney returns and Bon-Ton expands the anchor mix

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney returned to part of the former Jamesway area, and the former Woolworth space became an expanded Bon-Ton store.

• 1993

  Jamesway and Woolworth close

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Both chains closed their mall locations, while Quality Markets moved to an external site.

• 1986

  JCPenney departs and Jamesway expands into the mall

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney vacated its store, and most of the space was converted to Jamesway, including the chain's 100th store.

• 1971

  Mall opens in Lakewood

  [1]Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Chautauqua Mall opened under the development of Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., with Sears, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Quality Markets as anchor tenants.

A local and regional enclosed shopping center combining department-store, discount, specialty-retail, fitness, and restaurant tenants for consumers in the Lakewood and Chautauqua County area.

• Retail property · 1971

  Enclosed shopping mall

  Chautauqua Mall provides an enclosed retail environment with stores, services, former and current anchor spaces, and common customer facilities. Its tenant history has included department stores, specialty retailers, discount merchants, fitness, and food-service operators.

• Department store · 1971

  JCPenney

  JCPenney has been part of the mall's anchor history since its 1971 opening, left in 1986, and returned in 1997. It is identified in the reference material as one of the mall's current anchor tenants.

• Fitness center

  Planet Fitness

  Planet Fitness is identified as an anchor tenant in the available description of the current mall lineup, representing the property's shift toward service and experience-oriented uses alongside conventional retail.

• Discount retail · 2021

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet

  Ollie's Bargain Outlet was announced for Chautauqua Mall in 2021. Its value-focused assortment adds a discount-retail component to the property's post-department-store tenant mix.

• 2024

  Approval of restaurant outparcel developmentStrategy

  Background

  The mall property sought to expand its surrounding commercial offering beyond enclosed retail space.

  Action taken

  Zoning and planning boards authorized construction of Chipotle and Popeyes restaurants beside the existing Olive Garden.

  Aftermath

  The approvals supported continued development of food-service uses adjacent to the mall.

  Source

• 2022

  Change in mall ownershipM&A

  Background

  The property underwent an ownership change after years of tenant turnover and anchor-store restructuring.

  Action taken

  Kohan Retail Investment Group became the owner of Chautauqua Mall.

  Aftermath

  The mall continued operating under a more diversified retail and restaurant tenant model.

  Source

1. 1Chautauqua Mallen.wikipedia.org