Ames: 20 Years On

Twin Tiers location in Chemung County

 If you thought Grand Union coming back from retail heaven was unexpected, now Ames are reportedly returning from the dead.  I can list selected past locations that I remember in CNY and beyond, and possible new ones.  A real article suggested Syracuse, so that's a good sign. The chain closed in 2002 unable to compete with Walmart (Target had yet to grow in the Northeast, and Connecticut competitor Caldor had closed a few years before).  I still have one of the last things I ever bought there.  Writing this before the window closes on the anniversary.  The new owners have also bought Bradlees, which I never got to visit.  Not associated with the Ames in Cumberland County in the PA Capital Region.

Past locations:

Syracuse (Lyncourt) - Shop City; later Chinese buffet and Eckerd (after former Fays closed); now Dollar Tree (since 2002), Rite Aid and Powerhouse Gym

Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA; previously Hills; later Sports Authority, now At Home

North Syracuse - Northern Lights, US 11; previously Zayre, later Staples, now vacant

Chittenango - Chittenango Plaza, NY 5; later Name Brand Deals, now YBR Casino

deWitt - Marshalls Plaza, NY 5; previously Hills, became Marshalls Homegoods by 2003

Cicero - Penn Can Mall; previously Hills, now Roger Burdicks Drivers Village Used Car Warehouse

Baldwinsville - Downer St.; now Thrifty Shopper, Real Deals and Family Dollar

Auburn - NY 5; closed mid-'80s, later Nichols (no relation to Liverpool store)

West Seneca - South Gate Plaza, NY 277; previously Brand Names and Grants

Cheektowaga - Garden View Plaza, NY 277; previously Hills (not as familiar with WNY)

Pulaski - NY 13; previously Zayre, now demolished?

Rome - NY 46 (Freedom Plaza or Black River Blvd.?)

Glenmont - US 9W & Fuera Bush Rd; now Marshalls and other stores (the one Capital Region location I can remember)

Kingston - Kingston Plaza, US 9W; previously Jamesway (not going to put all the Hudson Valley ones up)

New Paltz - US 9W & NY 299 (haven't been to Ulster County since 2000)

Hyde Park - US 9; previously Jamesway, vacant for years (may have gone to this one when I lived up the road and even tried getting a job there)

Palatine Bridge - Dutchtown Plaza, NY 5 & 10; vacant (visible from Thruway in small town)

Fairmount - Fairmount Fair; closed when chain acquired Hills in 1998 and absorbed Camillus store, now various stores like Five Below, Famous Footwear and Ulta Beauty

Camillus - Camillus Plaza; previously Hills, demolished in 2006 for Walmart Supercenter

Cortland - NY 13 or 281? (even small towns can be hard to dig up information straight away)

Ithaca - The Shops at Ithaca Mall, NY 34; previously Hills; now Regal Cinemas

Horseheads - Lake Rd (old NY 17?) & CR 51; now vacant (pictured)

Future locations:

Syracuse - Destiny USA; former JCPenney or Lord & Taylor (a source said that the new chain wanted a two-storey flagship anchor there, and one of these is fish in a barrel)

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A; former Macys (even though Target are there) or New Hartford Shopping Center; former Herb Phillipsons

Auburn - Fingerlakes Mall, US 20 & NY 5; former Sears

Albany - Crossgates Mall, US 20.; former Caldor/Best Buy

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96; former Lord & Taylor

Amherst/Williamsville/Clarence - Shops at Main (and) Transit, NY 78; former Best Buy

Watertown - Salmon Run Mall, NY 3; former Bon-Ton

Massena - St Lawrence Centre, NY 37; former Sears

Johnson City - Oakdale Mall, NY 201; former Burlington

Ithaca - NY 13/34/96; former Tops

Fulton - River Glen Plaza, NY 481; former kmart

Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13; former flea market

Herkimer - former kmart

Horseheads - see above

Palatine Bridge - see above

North Syracuse - see above