Lockport Mall
Lockport Mall was a former enclosed shopping mall on Transit Road in South Lockport, New York, that operated from 1971 until its closure and partial demolition in the 2000s.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Lockport Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located on Transit Road, also designated New York State Route 78, in South Lockport, New York. Opened in 1971, it served the Lockport area with a combination of department stores, specialty retailers, services, entertainment, and a movie theater. Its original anchor lineup included Montgomery Ward, The Sample, and the Family Bargain Center, the latter of which was subsequently sold to AM&A's, a regional department-store chain. The mall was later expanded with the addition of a Hills department store in 1984. The property changed ownership when General Growth Properties acquired it in 1978. During its active years, Lockport Mall contained a broad selection of tenants, including Kinney Shoes, Fanny Farmer, Morse Shoes, Hickory Farms, Deb Shops, CVS Pharmacy, Fashion Bug, Kay Jewelers, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Radio Shack, Aladdin's Castle, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Regis Salons, and Waldenbooks. A movie theater provided an additional entertainment draw. The mall's tenant mix reflected the conventional enclosed-mall format of the period, combining department-store anchors with national and regional specialty retailers. The center began to weaken after major tenant changes. The Sample closed in 1991, and AM&A's was sold to The Bon-Ton in 1995. Hills converted to Ames in 1999, while Montgomery Ward closed that same year and was replaced by Rosa's Furniture. The loss of Montgomery Ward reduced the mall's anchor strength, and the property entered a prolonged decline. Ames closed in 2002, followed by the departure of many smaller tenants. By late 2004, only nine stores were still operating. Plans to replace most of the mall with a Walmart supercenter were publicly discussed from 2003 onward. The mall's movie theaters closed in January 2006, and the enclosed shopping center was otherwise closed later that year. The Bon-Ton department-store building remained open after the rest of the mall shut down. Demolition of the former mall structure began in April 2011, although redevelopment was delayed repeatedly, reportedly because seagulls were nesting on the site. Work eventually resumed, and a Walmart supercenter opened on the redeveloped property in 2015. The surviving Bon-Ton store announced its closure in 2018. Lockport Mall therefore represents a former suburban retail complex whose enclosed-mall format was replaced by a large-format retail development.
History
Lockport Mall opened in 1971 on Transit Road in South Lockport, New York. It was developed as an enclosed regional shopping center for the Lockport area, with department stores serving as its principal traffic generators and a movie theater and smaller specialty stores filling the interior concourses. The initial tenant group included the Family Bargain Center, Montgomery Ward, and The Sample. The Family Bargain Center was soon sold to AM&A's, a regional department-store operator. General Growth Properties acquired the mall in 1978. During the following years, Lockport Mall operated in the conventional suburban-mall pattern, bringing together department stores, apparel and footwear retailers, pharmacies, food and gift merchants, book and craft stores, personal-care services, and entertainment. Named tenants included Kinney Shoes, Fanny Farmer, Morse Shoes, Hickory Farms, Deb Shops, CVS Pharmacy, Fashion Bug, Kay Jewelers, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Radio Shack, Aladdin's Castle, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Regis Salons, and Waldenbooks. The property also contained a movie theater. An important expansion took place in 1984, when Hills Department Store was added. The mall nevertheless experienced the tenant turnover affecting many older enclosed shopping centers. The Sample closed in 1991. AM&A's was sold to The Bon-Ton in 1995, transferring that anchor operation to a different retail chain. Hills became Ames in 1999, and Montgomery Ward closed during the same year. Its former space was subsequently occupied by Rosa's Furniture. The closure of Montgomery Ward weakened the mall's anchor structure. Ames left in 2002, and numerous smaller tenants departed as the center lost traffic and retail relevance. By late 2004, only nine stores were reportedly still operating. Rosa's closed in 2005, while the movie theaters ceased operations in January 2006. The enclosed mall itself closed in 2006, although the Bon-Ton store remained in a separate or retained portion of the property. Redevelopment planning began publicly in 2003, with proposals calling for the demolition of most of the mall and construction of a Walmart supercenter. The plan was intended to replace the declining enclosed retail format with a large-format store and a new use for the underperforming site. Demolition did not occur immediately; the property remained largely vacant for several years. In April 2011, demolition finally began, with the Bon-Ton building excluded from the initial removal. Construction of the Walmart development was delayed more than once. One reported obstacle was the presence of seagulls nesting on the site. Work eventually resumed, and the Walmart supercenter opened in 2015. The remaining Bon-Ton operation continued for several more years, but Bon-Ton announced its closure in 2018. The history of Lockport Mall thus follows a familiar late-twentieth-century retail trajectory: rapid development and tenant diversification, expansion through a new anchor, erosion after department-store departures, closure of the enclosed center, and eventual conversion of the site to big-box retail.
- 2018
Bon-Ton announces closure
[1]The Bon-Ton store that remained after the mall's closure announces that it will close.
- 2015
Walmart opens on the redeveloped site
[1]Following construction delays, a Walmart supercenter opens on the former mall property.
- 2011
Demolition begins
[1]Demolition of the former mall structure begins in April, with the Bon-Ton building initially retained.
- 2006
Theaters and mall close
[1]The movie theaters close in January, and the enclosed mall shuts later in the year except for the Bon-Ton store.
- 2005
Rosa's Furniture closes
[1]Rosa's, which occupied the former Montgomery Ward space, closes.
- 2003
Walmart redevelopment is proposed
[1]Plans are announced to demolish most of the mall and replace it with a Walmart supercenter.
- 2002
Ames closes
[1]Ames closes, contributing to the mall's loss of department-store traffic.
- 1999
Hills becomes Ames and Montgomery Ward closes
[1]Hills is converted to Ames, while Montgomery Ward leaves and its space later becomes Rosa's Furniture.
- 1995
AM&A's is sold to The Bon-Ton
[1]The AM&A's operation at the mall becomes part of The Bon-Ton after AM&A's is sold.
- 1991
The Sample closes
[1]The Sample, one of the original anchor operations, closes.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented enclosed shopping mall serving Lockport and the surrounding Western New York area through department stores, specialty retailers, services, and entertainment. In its later years, the property became a declining and eventually obsolete mall site that was repositioned for big-box retail redevelopment.
Retail property · 1971
Enclosed shopping mall
The mall's core offering was an enclosed retail environment with interior walkways, department-store anchors, specialty shops, customer services, and entertainment. It was designed to function as a regional shopping destination for Lockport and nearby communities.
Department stores · 1971
Department-store anchor program
Lockport Mall's anchor lineup changed over time and included the Family Bargain Center, AM&A's, Montgomery Ward, The Sample, Hills, Ames, and The Bon-Ton. These stores supplied the broad merchandise ranges and visitor traffic on which the enclosed mall depended.
Shopping and services · 1971
Specialty retail and services
The interior tenant mix covered apparel, footwear, pharmacy, cosmetics, jewelry, books, crafts, gifts, food products, personal care, and communications or electronics-related retail. Examples included Kinney Shoes, CVS Pharmacy, Fashion Bug, Kay Jewelers, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Waldenbooks, Hickory Farms, Merle Norman Cosmetics, and Regis Salons.
Entertainment · 1971
Movie theater
A movie theater operated as part of the mall's entertainment offer and remained one of the site's visitor attractions until it closed in January 2006.
Brand decisions
2011
Demolition of the enclosed mallOtherBackground
The property had remained largely unused for several years after the mall's closure, apart from the Bon-Ton operation.
Action taken
Demolition of the former mall structure began in April, while the Bon-Ton building was initially left standing.
Aftermath
Redevelopment continued intermittently, with reported delays linked to seagull nesting on the site, before the Walmart supercenter opened in 2015.
2003
Redevelopment as a Walmart supercenterStrategyBackground
After the loss of major anchors and many smaller tenants, the enclosed mall had entered a sustained decline. Plans were announced to remove most of the mall structure and redevelop the site for Walmart.
Action taken
The redevelopment plan retained the Bon-Ton building initially while proposing demolition of the remaining mall and construction of a Walmart supercenter.
Aftermath
The mall closed in 2006, demolition began in 2011, and the Walmart store eventually opened in 2015 after delays.
Recent events
- 2018
Bon-Ton announces closure of its remaining store[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The Bon-Ton store that had survived the mall's closure announced that it would close, ending the property's remaining department-store presence.
- 2015
Walmart supercenter opens on former mall site[1]
Product launch · Other
After construction delays, a Walmart supercenter opened on the redeveloped Lockport Mall property.
- 2011
Demolition begins for Lockport Mall redevelopment[1]
Other
Demolition of the former mall structure began, with the Bon-Ton building retained for a period as redevelopment plans proceeded.
- 2006
Lockport Mall closes apart from Bon-Ton[1]
Other
The enclosed mall ceased normal operations after years of tenant losses. The Bon-Ton department-store building remained open separately.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lockport-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled