The Mall at Greece Ridge

The Mall at Greece Ridge is a regional shopping and entertainment complex in the town of Greece, New York, northwest of Rochester. The property is managed by Wilmorite Properties and is the largest shopping center in the Rochester area. Its retail environment is positioned along Ridge Road, or New York State Route 104, within a commercial corridor that also includes numerous shopping plazas, hotels, restaurants, automobile dealerships, and other consumer-service businesses. The present-day mall developed from the combination of two neighboring retail properties rather than from a single original construction project. Greece Towne Mall opened on May 1, 1967, with Sibley's as its principal department-store tenant and a small group of additional shops. By the end of that year, the center had reached its planned complement of 46 stores. Long Ridge Plaza emerged separately around a freestanding McCurdy's department store. The plaza opened in 1971 and subsequently added Woolworth, J. B. Hunter, B. Forman Co., and Sears as major tenants. J. B. Hunter was replaced by JCPenney in the mid-1970s. Competition from newer regional malls in the Rochester market encouraged the two adjacent properties to become a single destination. Wilmorite, which had developed Greece Towne Mall, acquired Long Ridge Plaza in 1989. The company then undertook an approximately $60 million redevelopment that created a 300,000-square-foot connecting wing and integrated the previously separate centers. The combined property opened on March 15, 1994, as The Mall at Greece Ridge Center. At roughly 1.6 million square feet, it ranked among the largest shopping malls in the eastern United States at the time and became the dominant enclosed retail center serving the Greece and greater Rochester markets. The mall has experienced repeated anchor changes as department-store chains consolidated, closed, or changed ownership. Kaufmann's, which succeeded Sibley's, became Macy's in 2006. Other historical anchors and major tenants included McCurdy's, The Bon-Ton, Caldor, Lechmere, Woolworth, Sears, and Regal Cinemas. Former department-store spaces have been adapted for discount retail, sporting goods, entertainment, and storage. The center also includes a double-decker carousel, a notable family-oriented attraction. In the 2020s, the property continued to be reconfigured in response to changes in department stores, cinemas, and large-format retail. Sears closed in 2018, and its former space was converted into a self-storage facility operated under the CubeSmart name in 2024. Burlington moved from an anchor building into a smaller inline location in 2024. Regal Cinemas announced its closure in January 2023, and the renovated cinema space reopened as Apple Cinemas in March 2025. Macy's closed both of its mall anchor stores in March 2025. Boscov's subsequently announced a new Rochester-area store using part of the former Burlington space and an expanded footprint; the store opened on October 30, 2025. These changes illustrate the mall's ongoing transition from a traditional department-store-centered format toward a more varied mix of retail, entertainment, dining, services, and specialty uses.

The Mall at Greece Ridge originated as two separate neighboring retail developments in Greece, New York. Greece Towne Mall opened on May 1, 1967, with Sibley's and 13 other stores. Its tenant roster expanded to 46 stores by the end of the year. A nearby McCurdy's department store opened as a freestanding location on October 2, 1969, and became the basis for Long Ridge Plaza, which opened on September 15, 1971. Long Ridge Plaza included Woolworth, J. B. Hunter, B. Forman Co., and later Sears, which opened in February 1972. J. B. Hunter left in 1974, and JCPenney took over the location in September 1975. Greece Towne Mall expanded in 1982 with a new wing anchored by Gold Circle, later known as Hills and then Caldor. By the late 1980s, the two neighboring centers faced increasing competition from newer or expanding malls elsewhere in the Rochester region. Wilmorite, the developer of Greece Towne Mall, acquired Long Ridge Plaza in 1989 and pursued a large-scale integration project. The redevelopment reportedly cost approximately $60 million and included a 300,000-square-foot connecting wing. The unified complex opened on March 15, 1994, as The Mall at Greece Ridge Center. With approximately 1.6 million square feet of space, it was among the largest malls in the eastern United States and became the largest shopping center in the Rochester area. JCPenney moved into a newly constructed anchor store in the connecting wing, which opened on May 4, 1994. The former JCPenney building was divided between Burlington Coat Factory and Lechmere, both of which opened in 1995. Woolworth closed in 1994 and was replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods. The property continued to experience department-store changes. McCurdy's closed in 1994 and its stores were acquired and rebranded by The May Company as Kaufmann's. Kaufmann's moved into the former McCurdy's location, while The Bon-Ton took over the former Sibley's space after a settlement involving The Bon-Ton and The May Company. Caldor went out of business in 1996; its former anchor was demolished and replaced by a Hoyts cinema that opened in 1998 and became a Regal Cinemas location in 2004. Lechmere closed in 1997, and Burlington later moved into the former Lechmere space in 2005. In 2006, the mall adopted the shorter name The Mall at Greece Ridge, and Kaufmann's was converted to Macy's. The Bon-Ton closed in 2012, and its anchor building was demolished. A replacement mall wing was completed in 2014. Sears closed in 2018, leaving another large space requiring adaptive reuse. The 2020s brought further changes in response to declining department-store footprints and pressure on cinema operators. Regal announced the closure of its theater in January 2023. The space was renovated and reopened by Apple Cinemas on March 14, 2025. In 2024, Burlington moved into a smaller inline location, while the former Sears space was converted into a CubeSmart-managed self-storage facility. Macy's closed both of its anchor stores on March 23, 2025. Boscov's then announced a new anchor store incorporating the former Burlington location and an expanded area across the mall toward Entrance 6. A local diner near the proposed construction area, Jim's at the Mall, declined to relocate, prompting a public petition. Boscov's opened on October 30, 2025, marking the chain's first location in the Rochester area. The mall therefore remains an active regional center, but its current format reflects a broader shift toward mixed retail, entertainment, dining, and service uses rather than dependence solely on traditional department stores.

• 2025

  Apple Cinemas and Boscov's join the tenant mix

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  Apple Cinemas reopened the former Regal space in March, and Boscov's opened a new anchor store on October 30.

• 2024

  Former Sears space becomes self-storage

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  The former Sears anchor was repurposed as a CubeSmart-managed storage facility.

• 2014

  Replacement wing completed after Bon-Ton closure

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  A new mall wing was completed following the closure and demolition of the former Bon-Ton anchor.

• 2006

  Property adopts its current name

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  The word 'Center' was removed from the mall's name, while Kaufmann's locations became Macy's.

• 1994

  Unified Mall at Greece Ridge Center opens

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  The two formerly separate malls were connected and reopened as a roughly 1.6-million-square-foot regional shopping center.

• 1989

  Wilmorite acquires Long Ridge Plaza

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  Wilmorite acquired the neighboring plaza and began planning the physical and commercial integration of the two properties.

• 1971

  Long Ridge Plaza opens

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  Long Ridge Plaza opened around the existing McCurdy's department store, adding several major tenants to the commercial area.

• 1967

  Greece Towne Mall opens

  [1]The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org

  Greece Towne Mall opened on May 1 with Sibley's and a group of additional stores; all 46 planned stores were operating by the end of the year.

A large suburban regional shopping and entertainment destination serving Greece and the wider Rochester metropolitan area, with a tenant mix spanning department stores, off-price retail, specialty stores, restaurants, cinema, and services.

• Shopping center · 1994

  Regional retail concourse

  The mall's main concourse accommodates approximately 107 stores and restaurants, combining department stores, specialty retailers, apparel, food, services, and entertainment. It serves as the principal enclosed shopping destination for Greece and surrounding Rochester communities.

• Entertainment · 2025

  Apple Cinemas

  Apple Cinemas operates the renovated cinema space formerly occupied by Regal Cinemas. The theater reopened on March 14, 2025, restoring a major movie-entertainment offering to the mall.

• Family entertainment

  Double-decker carousel

  A two-level carousel is one of the mall's distinctive family-oriented attractions, complementing its retail and dining functions.

• Storage services · 2024

  CubeSmart self-storage facility

  A former Sears anchor was converted into a self-storage facility managed by CubeSmart, demonstrating the property's use of nontraditional service tenants to reuse large department-store spaces.

• 2025

  Boscov's anchor-store developmentProduct launch

  Background

  Macy's closed both of its anchor locations in March 2025, creating a major opportunity for a replacement department-store tenant.

  Action taken

  Boscov's announced a store incorporating the former Burlington location and an expansion extending toward Entrance 6.

  Aftermath

  The store opened on October 30, 2025, becoming Boscov's first location in the Rochester area. Construction also generated a local relocation dispute involving Jim's at the Mall, whose operator declined to move.

  Source

• 2024

  Adaptive reuse of major anchor spacesStrategy

  Background

  The mall faced vacancies and changing space requirements following the closure of Sears and the relocation of Burlington.

  Action taken

  The former Sears building was converted to CubeSmart self-storage, while Burlington moved into a smaller former Bed Bath & Beyond space.

  Aftermath

  Large-format space was diversified across storage, inline retail, and future anchor redevelopment rather than left entirely vacant.

  Source

• 2023

  Cinema operator transitionOther

  Background

  Regal Cinemas announced that its location would close amid the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and pressure on cinema operations.

  Action taken

  The former Regal space was renovated for a new operator, Apple Cinemas.

  Aftermath

  Apple Cinemas reopened the theater on March 14, 2025.

  Source

• 1994

  Opening of the integrated regional mallStrategy

  Background

  The two adjacent shopping centers required a unified format to compete more effectively with newer and expanding malls in the Rochester area.

  Action taken

  A 300,000-square-foot connecting wing was constructed and the combined property opened under a single mall identity.

  Aftermath

  The resulting approximately 1.6-million-square-foot complex became the largest shopping center in the Rochester area.

  Source

• 1989

  Acquisition of Long Ridge PlazaM&A

  Background

  The neighboring Greece Towne Mall and Long Ridge Plaza were competing as separate properties while newer regional malls strengthened their positions in the Rochester market.

  Action taken

  Wilmorite acquired Long Ridge Plaza and pursued a physical merger of the two shopping centers.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition led to a major redevelopment and the opening of the unified Mall at Greece Ridge Center in 1994.

  Redevelopment cost. $60 million (1989-1994 redevelopment)

  Source

1. 1The Mall at Greece Ridgeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Mall at Greece Ridge official websitethemallatgreeceridge.com