McKinley Mall
A shopping mall serving the Southtowns of Erie County near Buffalo, New York.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
McKinley Mall is a shopping center in the town of Hamburg, Erie County, New York, near Buffalo. It is located at the intersection of McKinley Parkway and Milestrip Road, also designated New York State Route 179, immediately east of Interstate 90 and the New York State Thruway. The mall primarily serves communities in Buffalo’s Southtowns and remains part of the retail network serving southern Erie County. The mall opened on October 7, 1985, with approximately 80 stores and a food court known as The Garden. Its original anchor lineup included AM&A’s, The Sample, and Sears. A six-screen General Cinema theater opened at the property in 1986, adding an entertainment component to the initial retail offer. The project attracted controversy in Hamburg because of the development and traffic growth associated with a large enclosed shopping center, but it became an important commercial destination for the Southtowns. McKinley Mall expanded its tenant mix during the late 1980s and early 1990s. L. L. Berger opened a large store in 1988, followed by Sibley’s in 1989. Sibley’s was converted to Kaufmann’s in 1990, while JCPenney joined the property in 1991. The closure of L. L. Berger after its Chapter 11 bankruptcy led to further repositioning of that space, which became a Kaufmann’s Home Store in 1994. In the same period, The Bon-Ton entered the mall after acquiring Buffalo-based AM&A’s. Although the opening of Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga in 1989 intensified competition among Western New York shopping centers, McKinley Mall continued to function as a Southtowns-oriented mall rather than as a region-wide super-regional destination. During the 1990s, the surrounding area developed into a broader retail corridor, with stores, restaurants, and service businesses opening both inside and outside the mall. Examples included Circuit City, Pier 1, Media Play, Dollar Tree, and several national restaurant chains, while nearby commercial development included Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Toys “R” Us, Jo-Ann Fabrics, OfficeMax, TJ Maxx, Wegmans, and Aldi. The property’s later history reflects the consolidation and restructuring of American department-store retail. Kaufmann’s was converted to Macy’s in September 2006. That year, Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy were announced for the Sears wing and adjacent area, and Barnes & Noble opened at the mall in 2008. Ulta Beauty followed in 2009, and Old Navy moved into the center in 2011, occupying space formerly associated with KB Toys. Macy’s closed in 2016, The Bon-Ton closed in April 2018 after its parent company ceased operations, and Sears closed in February 2020. On July 28, 2021, Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired McKinley Mall for $8.5 million. The mall’s current identity is therefore based on a combination of established anchors, specialty retail, books, beauty, electronics, apparel, dining, and its convenient location near major roads. Its long-term role is tied to maintaining a practical community and Southtowns shopping destination amid changing tenant patterns and competition from other Western New York retail centers.
History
McKinley Mall opened on October 7, 1985, in Hamburg, New York, at the junction of McKinley Parkway and Milestrip Road near Interstate 90 and the New York State Thruway. The property began with about 80 stores and a food court called The Garden. Its initial anchors were AM&A’s, The Sample, and Sears. Because the project brought substantial commercial development and associated traffic to Hamburg, its construction was controversial locally. Nevertheless, the mall became a significant retail destination for the Southtowns of Erie County. A six-screen General Cinema theater opened at the mall in 1986. The property continued to add department stores and specialty tenants during the late 1980s. L. L. Berger opened a roughly 40,000-square-foot store on August 15, 1988. Sibley’s followed on April 6, 1989, relocating from the former Seneca Mall. The opening of Walden Galleria approximately ten miles north in Cheektowaga that same year increased competitive pressure across Western New York. Walden Galleria’s super-regional scale contributed to the decline of several older nearby malls, including Seneca Mall and Thruway Mall, but McKinley Mall retained a distinct role serving communities south of Buffalo. Sibley’s was converted to Kaufmann’s in 1990, and JCPenney became another major anchor in 1991. L. L. Berger filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed its chain in 1991; the McKinley Mall premises were later used by Kaufmann’s Home Store beginning in 1994. The same year, The Bon-Ton arrived after acquiring Buffalo-based AM&A’s, continuing the property’s department-store presence under a new regional operator. During the 1990s, the mall and its surroundings developed into a broad retail and dining corridor. Interior or immediately associated tenants included Circuit City, Pier 1, Media Play, Dollar Tree, and Rosa’s Home and Furniture Store. Nearby commercial development included Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Toys “R” Us, Jo-Ann Fabrics, OfficeMax, A.C. Moore, TJ Maxx, Wegmans, and Aldi. Restaurant growth included Olive Garden, Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, Applebee’s, Friendly’s, and Outback Steakhouse. This combination of enclosed-mall tenants and adjacent stores made the area a substantial shopping district even as consumer traffic became distributed across multiple formats. The property continued to adjust its tenant mix in the 2000s. In 2006, Bed Bath & Beyond was announced for the Sears wing and Best Buy was announced for a neighboring location. Kaufmann’s became Macy’s in September 2006. Barnes & Noble opened in 2008, Ulta Beauty in 2009, and Old Navy moved into the mall in 2011, taking space previously associated with KB Toys. The next decade brought several anchor departures. Macy’s closed in 2016. The Bon-Ton closed in April 2018 after its parent company went out of business, and Sears closed in February 2020. These closures reflected wider changes in American department-store retail, including bankruptcies, store rationalization, and a shift toward specialty retailers and off-mall formats. On July 28, 2021, Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased McKinley Mall for $8.5 million. The mall’s documented anchor tenants include Best Buy, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, and JCPenney. Its continuing role is that of a Southtowns shopping center combining national specialty retailers, department-store merchandise, books, electronics, apparel, beauty, dining, and nearby commercial services.
- 2021
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquires the mall
[1]Kohan Retail Investment Group purchases McKinley Mall for $8.5 million on July 28.
- 2020
Sears closes
[1]Sears closes its McKinley Mall location in February.
- 2018
The Bon-Ton closes
[1]The Bon-Ton closes in April after its parent company goes out of business.
- 2016
Macy’s closes
[1]Macy’s ends its operation at McKinley Mall.
- 2011
Old Navy relocates to the mall
[1]Old Navy moves into space formerly occupied by KB Toys.
- 2009
Ulta Beauty opens
[1]Ulta Beauty opens at the shopping center.
- 2008
Barnes & Noble opens
[1]Barnes & Noble becomes a major specialty tenant.
- 2006
Kaufmann’s becomes Macy’s
[1]The Kaufmann’s department-store location changes to Macy’s in September; Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy are also announced for the western side of the property.
- 1994
The Bon-Ton replaces AM&A’s
[1]The Bon-Ton enters the property after acquiring AM&A’s, while the former L. L. Berger space becomes a Kaufmann’s Home Store.
- 1991
JCPenney opens
[1]JCPenney joins the mall’s anchor lineup.
Products and positioning
A traditional enclosed regional shopping center focused on serving the Southtowns of Erie County and nearby Buffalo-area communities through department-store, specialty-retail, service, dining, and entertainment tenants.
Consumer electronics anchor · 2006
Best Buy
Best Buy is a documented McKinley Mall anchor offering consumer electronics, appliances, computing products, entertainment technology, and related services. Its location was announced in 2006 as part of development near the Sears wing and provided the mall with a large-format electronics tenant.
Apparel anchor · 2011
Old Navy
Old Navy is an apparel anchor serving families and value-conscious shoppers with casual clothing, accessories, and seasonal merchandise. The brand moved into McKinley Mall in 2011, occupying space formerly associated with KB Toys.
Books and media · 2008
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble opened at McKinley Mall in 2008. The store adds books, magazines, gifts, and related media merchandise to the mall’s tenant mix and functions as one of its recognized major specialty offerings.
Department store anchor · 1991
JCPenney
JCPenney has been part of McKinley Mall since opening a location in 1991. Its department-store assortment traditionally spans apparel, accessories, home merchandise, and related consumer goods, supporting the mall’s role as a general-purpose shopping destination.
Beauty specialty retail · 2009
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty joined McKinley Mall in 2009, adding cosmetics, skincare, haircare, fragrance, and beauty services to the center’s specialty-retail mix.
Brand decisions
2021
Kohan Retail Investment Group acquisitionM&ABackground
McKinley Mall had experienced multiple anchor departures, including Macy’s, The Bon-Ton, and Sears.
Action taken
Kohan Retail Investment Group purchased the property on July 28, 2021, for $8.5 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the mall under a new private owner as it continued operating with Best Buy, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, and JCPenney among its documented anchors.
Acquisition price. $8.5 million (July 28, 2021)
2006
Repositioning of the western anchor areaStrategyBackground
The mall sought to refresh its western side during a period of changing department-store and specialty-retail formats.
Action taken
Bed Bath & Beyond was announced for the Sears wing and Best Buy for an adjacent location; the Kaufmann’s anchor was also converted to Macy’s in September.
Aftermath
The changes diversified the property beyond its older department-store configuration, although Macy’s later closed in 2016.
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