Addis & Dey's

Edwardian photo and/or postcard of Deys in downtown Syracuse; courtesy OHA

 What started as two department stores in downtown Syracuse, one in the Victorian era founded by ex-pat Scottish brothers Dey Brothers, and another before the Great Depression, the Addis Company, would join forces in 1989 when both were on the way out (I remember seeing the farewell party on the news). Both buildings survive today with new purpose and businesses. Deys and Sibleys were briefly sister chains in 1987 when owned by May Department Stores and were part of the Galleries the following year, only for the latter to close the next year and succeeded by Kaufmann's at Carousel Center in the new decade. Getting back to this, here's where Addis or Deys each or the merged chain were until 1993 when the last of the mall stores just couldn't compete with the bigger names anymore.

The Addis Co.

Syracuse (downtown) - S Salina St; flagship, now apartments with replica sign and building on the National Register of Historic Places (mom said she had one of her first jobs there)

deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5; mall store later Steinbach, TJ Maxx, Kaufmanns, and Macys; see below (I could go on all day on that lot)

Cicero - Penn Can Mall, E Circle Dr; closed by late '80s; see below

Fairmount  - Fairmount Fair Mall; see below

Dey Brothers

Syracuse (downtown) - S Salina & E Jefferson Sts; flagship; now several businesses and soon apartments (pictured)

Baldwinsville - Tri-County Mall, Downer St; demolished by 2000s; now over-60s housing units

Cicero - Penn Can Mall, E Circle Dr; closed in 1988 for next one; now Burdicks Drivers Village

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481; can't remember which anchor replaced it; Micron coming

Fairmount - Fairmount Fair Mall; demolished; now power center with several anchors

deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5; later store became Sears in 1994; now vacant pending legal action with District East building site (don't get me started!)

Glens Falls - TBD; satellite store according to anonymous tip from the Department Store Museum

Addis & Deys only (Capital Region) [I wonder if my relatives there ever knew or even went back then]

Niskayuna - Mohawk Mall; previously The Boston Store; now Mohawk Commons

Wilton - Wilton Mall at Saratoga; past and present info TBD; one of two non-CNY stores

Lord & Taylor

Later store on Long Island in Manhasset (now NYU Langone Health and SaksWorks)

 Since mostly high-end department stores have become a running theme here lately, my Google algorithm has just told me that one of the very first chains ever opened in the country Lord & Taylor are now the latest one to come back from the dead. They haven't been gone that long, even though COVID had affected them like so many in the past five years. Regal Global Brands now own the IP for what was one of the oldest names from downstate. Lord & Taylor still have vacant stores left behind, including the one they opened thirty years ago just a few miles away from home. Might as well get them all back, but I'd have to see where they are, and stick to this state, but if they're taken, see if someone else has a property to spare instead just as good. Also go to areas that never had Lord & Taylor before. Regal do plan to open brick and mortar in the foreseeable future, and I never expect any company to come here for ideas, but I'm no better than The Simpsons on any of this (although Futurama had the parody Alien Overlord & Taylor!).

Syracuse - Destiny USA (past location still available, even though I wanted close competitors Neiman Marcus or Bloomingdales there before)

Albany (Guilderland) - Crossgates Mall, US 20; empty anchor (last location now Primark)

Colonie (Roesslville) - Colonie Center, NY 5 & Wolf Rd; former Christmas Tree Shops (if above is unavailable)

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A; former Hess's/Kaufmann's/Macy's (although small by Lord & Taylor's standards as is the area, yet their closest rival were last in there)

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96; past location, although after legal dispute, something like Wegmans or even Patagonia was suggested by the mall owners in all but name

Henrietta - Marketplace Mall, NY 252 & 15A; former Dicks instead of above (Rochester)

Cheektowaga - Walden Galleria; former store still available (Buffalo)

Watertown - Salmon Run Mall, NY 3 & CR 100; former Dicks or Christmas Tree Shops

Johnson City - Oakdale Commons, NY 201; former Burlington (map unavailable online to check)

Big Flats - Arnot Mall, CR 75 & 35; former Hess's/Bon-Ton or Sears (Twin Tiers is also small towns)

Poughkeepsie - Poughkeepsie Galleria, US 9; former JCPenney (I haven't been over there since 2000)

Kingston - Hudson Valley Mall, US 9W; former Best Buy or Gander Outdoor (Dicks may move soon)

Bay Shore - South Shore Mall; former store (may still be available, but downstate is just too big to get all of the ones that were last open, while another on Long Island was repurposed [see photo])

New York - 5th Ave; flagship (Manhattan)

W.T. Grant Co. in CNY

Nedrow store with replica sign made with my phone

 Now for something entirely before my time, yet I've heard of from the over-60s and historical sources. W.T. Grant Co. were a department store chain that started in the Edwardian era outside Boston that was the next level after the five and dimes, but cheaper than local competitors Filenes and the Boston Store. Grants closed in 1976 after seventy years' time because of bankruptcy, mismanagement, and not keeping up with those times. They were common in Syracuse and around the country, mainly the eastern seaboard. Here's where they were here and one other spot, so I don't binge again, yet people may have taken the store for Grant-ed back then! (I have such cheesy puns!). Because of how long ago the company existed, I can't always put down what came after, even in my own neck of the woods.

North Syracuse - US 11; Northern Lights Plaza

Nedrow - US 11 & Southwood Dr; Green Hills Plaza; later kmart and flea market; now vacant (pictured)

Vails Gate - NY 32; later Caldor and kmart; now Goodwill (non-CNY)

Camillus - Camillus Plaza (now Camillus Commons)

deWitt - NY 5; Shoppingtown; original plaza demolished by 1975 when converted to mall before chains closure; store replaced by Woolworths in 1978; closed 1993 and replaced by Media Play, which itself closed in 2003 and was later Black Mamba and then vacant again; mall to be levelled for District East

Syracuse (downtown) - S Salina St; demolished in 1985 for the Galleries, which opened in 1988

Sibley's

Irondequoit Mall (had to block lamppost to fit logo)

 Sibleys were a chain from Monroe County which I remember from early days that had been in CNY until they were sold to Kaufmanns in 1990. The flagship in downtown Rochester is in the National Register of Historic Places (our answer to the National Trust in a way). They had absorbed chains like their successors had too. While I can remember much of the CNY stores, WNY and beyond are a return to the time warp (mostly Wikipedia, making Cliffs Notes look like a bill that has to be passed).

Syracuse

Syracuse (downtown) - Previously RKO Keiths; briefly connected to the Galleries by Skybridge; closed 1989; now offices and businesses such as CXTec, Redhouse and Tompkins Savings Bank.

Fayetteville - Fayetteville Mall, NY 5 & N Burdick St; later Kaufmanns; closed and demolished in 1993; replaced by Caldor from 1994-96; mall demolished 2001 for Towne Center

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now Dunk & Bright, while mall will become power center with Micron on the horizon

Buffalo

West Seneca - Seneca Mall, CR 137 & 91; now demolished

Cheektowaga - Walden Galleria; was only there the first year; later Kaufmanns; now Macys

Amherst - Boulevard Mall, US 62; previously Sattlers; later Kaufmanns; now Macys

Rochester

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96; later Kaufmanns; now Macys

Greece - Greece Town Mall (now The Mall at Greece Ridge), NY 104; later Kaufmanns; now Macys

Henrietta - Marketplace Mall, NY 252 & 15A; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now Floor & Décor

Irondequoit - Irondequoit Mall, E Ridge Rd; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now closed (pictured)

Webster - NY 404; demolished; now Breuggers Bagels and Chase Bank

Clarence - Eastern Hills Mall, NY 78; previously Hengerers; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now Niagara Emporium

Hamburg - McKinley Mall, NY 179; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now closed

Rochester (downtown) - NY 96; flagship; now offices (original Granite Building burned down in the Edwardian era)

AI fantasy nuclear option! (my other one has a typo)

Courtesy Meta Platforms, Inc. (fictional store shown)

Kaufmann's

Sangertown Square store with added logo

 Kaufmann's were a chain from Allegheny County whose flagship store in downtown Pittsburgh had a clock that people would meet (it's always easier that way and not just for time). They entered Upstate NY in 1990 after acquiring Rochester-based Sibleys (the downtown stores there [that flagship] and Syracuse [we can look into them later] were both too old and out of date for smaller cities), which brought the chain to CNY as a result. When owner May Department Stores merged with Federated in 2006, Kaufmanns, Marshall-Fields, and Filenes all became Macys. Overlapping stores were sold to other chains if not closed (Albany County's Colonie Center already had both Filenes [which switched ownership from Federated to May] and Macys in the old days, while rival mall Crossgates down I-87 had Jordan Marsh to boot!). Meanwhile, McCurdys were the other chain in Monroe County that Kaufmanns absorbed in 1994 along with B. Forman (I could go on all day with these defunct department stores). I just did Hess's and even some of those were taken. Here's what I can "Kauf" up!

Syracuse - Carousel Center (now Destiny USA); now Macys (last one in area)

deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5; previously Addis & Deys; later Macys; soon to be demolished pending court order for District East

Fayetteville - Fayetteville Mall, NY 5 & N Burdick St; previously Sibleys if not Hess's; closed and moved to above in 1993; mall demolished by 2001; now Towne Center

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481; later Macys; now Dunk & Bright; one of the few mall anchors spared from demolition for future lifestyle center for pending Micron community

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A; previously Hess's; later Macys; now vacant. Also had a Kaufmanns Home store around the corner.

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96; previously Sibleys; now Macys

Greece - The Mall at Greece Ridge, NY 104 & CR 261; previously Sibleys; now Macys

Henrietta - Marketplace Mall, NY 252 & 15A; previously Sibleys; later Macys; now Floor & Décor

Cheektowaga - Walden Galleria; previously Sibleys; now Macys

Clarence - Eastern Hills Mall, NY 78; previously Hengerers and Sibleys; later Macys; now Niagara Emporium

Amherst - Boulevard Mall, US 62; previously Jenns and Sibleys; now Macys (mall becoming Boulevard Place)

Hamburg - McKinley Mall, NY 179; main store previously Sibleys; later Macys; now closed. Home store previously LL Berger.

Big Flats (Fisherville) - Arnot Mall, CR 35; previously Hess's; later Macys; now closed

Johnson City - Oakdale Mall, NY 201; previously Hess's; later Macys; now Dicks House of Sports

Hess's in CNY+

Kitty used instead of someone elses photo

 Hess's Department Stores were a chain from Lehigh Valley dating back to the late Victorian era. The flagship would have A-listers make in-store appearances. They worked their way to Upstate NY from acquiring other chains, but would gradually be bought out from the late '80s through the mid-'90s. They were unrelated to Hess Oil Company. I can remember them being in CNY in the old days.

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31; later Chappells and the Bon-Ton; soon to be redeveloped now that Micron have been approved for their building site a few miles away so the mall is one for a new lifestyle center and modern village (we'll delve further as soon as we know more if others don't already)

Fayetteville - Fayetteville Mall, NY 5; later Sibleys and Kaufmanns; now Towne Center (TBD)

New Hartford - Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A; later Kaufmanns and Macys; now vacant (shown below)

Allentown, PA (downtown) - Flagship; later The Bon-Ton; now offices (too many others to list)

Poughkeepsie - South Hills Mall, US 9; later Burlington; TBD (only non-CNY store within the state I'll do because I used to be up the road, but that's for another day)

Camillus - Camillus Mall; previously Witherills; later Chappells and the Bon-Ton; now St Josephs Health, Empire Dermatology and vacancy (last surviving building from mall at Camillus Commons)

AI depiction of sidewalk sale at Lehigh Valley OG store

AI creations appear courtesy Meta Platforms, Inc./Facebook. No real people or buildings are shown.

If Hess's were in the mall today (AI codswallop underneath)

New Hartford location (not AI for once! Just copy and paste!)

The Bon-Ton

 

deWitt location with superimposed logo (all I could do)

The Bon-Ton came to CNY in the mid-'90s after acquiring Chappells (see earlier post) and Hess's, and had already opened in the Southern Tier/Twin Tiers (ex-McCurdys/Iszurds) with Hess's being from Lehigh Valley, working its way up the then-PA 9 and I-81. Bonton is another name you'd be surprised to know is still around, even online. The current owners only brought back sister chain Carsons in Illinois, but could revive Bonton proper here. For old stores, it's strictly Upstate, you know, so I don't delve into other states or subsidiaries since the blog is supposed to be about New York.

Syracuse - Destiny USA*

Auburn - NY 5 & US 20; Fingerlakes Mall (had Chappells)

Camillus - Camillus Commons* (although only part of former store is available now)

Albany - US 20; Crossgates Mall; former Caldor and Best Buy

New Hartford - NY 5 & 5A; Sangertown Square; former Macys

Amherst - NY 78; former Best Buy

Former locations

*

deWitt - NY 5; Shoppingtown Mall; previously Chappells; demolition pending for District East (pictured)

Clay - NY 31; Great Northern Mall; previously Chappells; demolition pending for lifestyle center in the wake of Microns arrival

Watertown - Salmon Run Mall, NY 3 & CR 100; previously Chappells; now vacant

Williamsville - Eastern Hills Mall, NY 78; previously AM&As; now Raymour & Flanigan

Wheatfield - The Summit; previously AM&As; now Niagara International Sports & Entertainment

Lockport - Lockport Mall, NY 78; previously AM&As; now demolished

Cheektowaga - Walden Galleria; previously AM&As; now Dave & Busters (moved from above)

Hamburg - McKinley Mall, NY 179; previously AM&As; TBD

Buffalo - Main Place Mall, NY 5; previously AM&As flagship; now a hotel and apartment complex

Johnson City - Oakdale Commons, NY 201; previously McCurdys; now BJs Wholesale Club

Massena - St Lawrence Centre, NY 37; now St Lawrence Industrial Complex

Big Flats - Arnot Mall, NY 35; previously Iszards and McCurdys

Lansing - The Shops at Ithaca Mall, NY 34; previously JW Rhodes; now Cayuga Health

Victor - Eastview Mall, NY 96; absorbed by von Maur expansion in 2012

Henrietta - Marketplace Mall, NY 252 & 15A; previously McCurdys; now vacant

Greece - The Mall at Greece Ridge Mall, former McCurdys, NY 104 & CR 261; now Burlington?

Irondequoit - Irondequoit Mall, former McCurdys; now Skyview on the Ridge

*past location

Chi-Chi's

Chi-Chi's in Luxembourg (which is now closed, with just another in the EU)

 Chi-Chi's was a Tex-Mex restaurant chain I vaguely remember from the old days, and there was one on NY 5 on Syracuses east side, but a Hepatitis outbreak two decades ago ended the chain in this country, while most of the European franchises closed in more recent memory, leaving one in Belgium. The brand was still in the frozen section when sold to Hormel, and they'll licence the name for a revival of the chain. Not sure if this is up to Pati Jinich standards since I can't eat any of this myself, but they hope to regain the publics trust if it's still a fresh memory or they think the name was long gone entirely. Here's where it could go today.

Syracuse - Destiny USA; former Cantina Loredo

Dayton/Springfield/Miami Valley area, OH - former Frischs Big Boy

Latham - US 9; former BurgerFi

Clifton Park - US 9; former BurgerFi

New Hartford - CR 30; former Unos

Watertown - CR 100; former Tilted Kilt

Cortland - NY 13; former Naples Pizza

Auburn - NY 5 & US 20; Fingerlakes Mall

Amherst - NY 78; TBD

Rochester; NY 252; TBD

Hills Department Stores

Hills roadside sign outside of Nashville, TN; courtesy Wikimedia Commons

 I forgot to write about Hills. We've had four in Syracuse. Most of them became Ames by 1999, only for that to close in 2002 (see earlier post). I have the local ones memorised (of course), and three from afar (not going to get too carried away again like I have with the other chains, so just a few for today). I can even remember TVs Brett Butler (Grace Under Fire) in their commercials back in the mid-'90s. 

Economy, PA - now vacant

Ithaca (Lansing) - NY 34; Pyramid Mall (now the Shops at Ithaca Mall); later Ames; now Regal Cinemas

Cortlandville - NY 13; Cortlandville Crossing; now Marshalls

Christiansburg, VA - Bus US 460 & VA 114; now Kohls (happened to come up while looking up the above in Google)

Lockport - Lockport Mall, NY 78; later Ames; now Walmart Supercenter

Syracuse - Carousel Center (now Destiny USA); later At Home; now vacant

deWitt - NY 5; Marshalls Plaza; now Marshalls Homegoods

Cicero - Penn Can Mall; now Drivers Villages Burdick Used Warehouse

Camillus - Camillus Plaza; did not become Ames, which was already down W Genesee St at Fairmount Fair, but closed by 1994 when Caldor opened (see other post); vacant until demolished in 2005 when Walmart Supercenter was built

Hermitage, TN (pictured) - TBD

Fairly close AI fantasy Hills if it was around now

Because of few free photos, I headed for the AI Hills!

AI images courtesy Meta Platforms, Inc. No actual people or buildings are depicted (just sayin').