Kohl's Plaza
Kohl's Plaza is a strip mall in Colonie, New York, anchored by a Kohl's department store.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Kohl's Plaza is a retail shopping center at 1814 Central Avenue in Colonie, New York. The property is primarily known for its Kohl's department store anchor and for its role in introducing Kohl's to New York's Capital Region. The plaza is one of two original Kohl's locations established in the region after the retailer began evaluating the market in the mid-1990s and signed leases for stores in Colonie and Clifton Park in late 2002. The Colonie Kohl's store opened on October 10, 2003, in a building measuring approximately 88,000 square feet. The site has a longer commercial and entertainment history. Before the retail plaza was established, the property was home to the Mohawk Drive-in Theatre, which operated from 1946 through 1986. A shopping center had been in place by at least 1990, when a Builder's Square home-improvement store was added to the development. The property was subsequently known as Builder's Square Plaza. Builder's Square's wider retail chain closed in 1999. Although Kmart had sold the chain to Hechinger Co. in 1997, it retained the lease on the Colonie location. Kmart's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in April 2002 created an opportunity to secure a replacement tenant for the building. The former Builder's Square building occupied roughly 106,000 square feet. It was ultimately demolished to make way for the Kohl's store rather than being reused in its original form. Kohl's arrival therefore represented both a tenant change and a physical redevelopment of the principal big-box space. The plaza's name shifted from Builder's Square Plaza to Kohl's Plaza in connection with the new anchor. In addition to Kohl's, the center has hosted a changing collection of smaller stores, restaurants, and service-oriented tenants. Reported occupants over time have included MSS Limited, O'Toole's Restaurant, Knight Kitchen Designer Showroom, OfficeMax, Manhattan Bagel Co., Maurice's Sandwich Shops, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Alfred's Fabric Center. These tenants indicate the center's role as a mixed retail and food-service destination rather than a single-brand location. Kohl's Plaza is owned by Colonie Realty Associates NY, LLC, based in Closter, New Jersey. Public reference material does not establish a separate corporate operating company, formal founding date, current tenant roster beyond the Kohl's anchor, or an official consumer-facing website for the plaza. Its significance is principally local and regional: it is a suburban retail property whose redevelopment connected a former home-improvement store site with Kohl's expansion into the Capital Region.
History
The property now known as Kohl's Plaza occupies a site with documented commercial and recreational use extending back several decades. From 1946 to 1986, the Mohawk Drive-in Theatre operated at the location. By at least 1990, the site had been converted into a retail plaza, and a Builder's Square home-improvement store was added as the principal big-box occupant. The center was consequently known as Builder's Square Plaza. Builder's Square was part of a larger home-improvement retail chain. Kmart owned the chain until 1997, when it sold Builder's Square to Hechinger Co. The Colonie store nevertheless remained connected to Kmart through the lease on the particular property. Builder's Square as a chain closed in 1999, leaving the large space available for a new tenant. The building measured approximately 106,000 square feet. Kohl's had begun considering New York's Capital Region around 1995 but did not finalize its entry until late 2002. The retailer signed leases for stores at the Colonie plaza and in Clifton Park, making them two of its first locations in the region. Kmart's Chapter 11 filing in April 2002 helped create the practical opportunity for a new tenant at the former Builder's Square site. Contemporary retail analysis reportedly considered demolition a likely outcome if another large-format retailer replaced Builder's Square. The former building was demolished, and a new Kohl's store of approximately 88,000 square feet was developed. The store opened on October 10, 2003. Its arrival changed the identity of the center, which became known as Kohl's Plaza. The property continued to operate as a multi-tenant shopping center, with Kohl's serving as the main anchor and a succession of smaller retailers, restaurants, and service businesses occupying other spaces. Reported former or current tenants have included MSS Limited, O'Toole's Restaurant, Knight Kitchen Designer Showroom, OfficeMax, Manhattan Bagel Co., Maurice's Sandwich Shops, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Alfred's Fabric Center. The tenant list reflects the center's evolution as a convenience-oriented suburban retail destination with both national chains and local businesses. Kohl's Plaza is owned by Colonie Realty Associates NY, LLC, a company based in Closter, New Jersey. Available reference material does not identify a separate management brand, a formal opening year for the plaza itself, or a complete current tenant directory. The center's documented historical importance lies in the transition from drive-in theatre to shopping plaza, then from Builder's Square Plaza to a Kohl's-anchored retail property serving Colonie and the wider Capital Region.
- 2003
Kohl's store opens
[1]The Kohl's store opened at the redeveloped plaza on October 10, 2003.
- 2002
Kohl's signs leases
[1]Kohl's signed leases for stores at the Colonie property and in Clifton Park in late 2002.
- 1999
Builder's Square chain closes
[1]The Builder's Square chain closed, leaving the anchor space available for redevelopment.
- 1997
Builder's Square sold by Kmart
[1]Kmart sold the Builder's Square chain to Hechinger Co., while retaining the lease associated with the Colonie store.
- 1995
Kohl's evaluates the Capital Region
[1]Kohl's began considering expansion into New York's Capital Region.
- 1990
Retail plaza established by this period
[1]The site was operating as a retail plaza by at least 1990.
- 1990
Builder's Square added
[1]A Builder's Square home-improvement store was added to the plaza.
- 1986
Mohawk Drive-in Theatre closes
[1]The drive-in theatre ceased operations after four decades at the location.
- 1946
Mohawk Drive-in Theatre begins operation
[1]The Mohawk Drive-in Theatre began operating on the site that would later become Kohl's Plaza.
Products and positioning
A local suburban strip mall positioned around a large Kohl's department store and complemented by smaller retail, restaurant, and service tenants.
Department store · 2003
Kohl's department store
The principal anchor is an approximately 88,000-square-foot Kohl's department store. Its broad merchandise format supports the center's identity and draws shoppers to the surrounding smaller tenants. The available source material does not provide a detailed store-specific assortment, but Kohl's department stores generally operate across apparel, footwear, home merchandise, beauty, and related consumer categories.
Shopping-center tenancy
Retail and restaurant tenant spaces
Kohl's Plaza has accommodated smaller retail, restaurant, and service tenants alongside its anchor. Reported occupants over time include OfficeMax, Manhattan Bagel Co., McDonald's, Starbucks, O'Toole's Restaurant, Knight Kitchen Designer Showroom, MSS Limited, Maurice's Sandwich Shops, and Alfred's Fabric Center. The tenant mix has changed over time, and the source does not establish which businesses remain in operation.
Brand decisions
2002
Redevelopment of the former Builder's Square siteStrategyBackground
The Builder's Square chain had closed, while Kmart retained the lease on the Colonie building. Kmart's Chapter 11 filing created an opportunity to secure a new large-format tenant.
Action taken
The approximately 106,000-square-foot former Builder's Square building was demolished to make room for a new Kohl's store.
Aftermath
A new Kohl's store of approximately 88,000 square feet opened on October 10, 2003, and the property became known as Kohl's Plaza.
2002
Kohl's enters New York's Capital RegionStrategyBackground
Kohl's had considered the Capital Region since around 1995 and sought a suitable location for regional expansion.
Action taken
The retailer signed leases for stores at Kohl's Plaza and in Clifton Park in late 2002.
Aftermath
The Colonie store opened in 2003 and became one of the first Kohl's locations in the region.
Sources1 sources
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