AMHERST, NY (WKBW) — A shopping era is ending. Most stores at the Boulevard Mall in Amherst must close by this Sunday as Douglas Development prepares to take over.
The mall was once considered a shopping staple in our region, but with many shopping online that has meant fewer people at the mall and some consumers prefer newer shopping centers.
“It’s just very disappointing,” declared Sharon Chory, a Williamsville resident.
I caught up with Chory in the Boulevard Mall parking lot just before she headed in to do some final shopping.
“How long have you been coming to this mall?” Buckley asked. “Oh, my gosh,” replied Chory. “Decades, right?” questioned Buckley. “Probably 40 years at least,” answered Chory.
Remaining stores must shut down by this Sunday and mall walkers won’t be allowed in after Tuesday. But stores with exterior entrances, including JCPenney and Macy’s, and some of the restaurants will remain open for now.
But so many shops already closed, it now looks like a "ghost town."
“Sad in a way. I try to do things quickly online too often that haven’t had as much of a need to come to the retail setting,” remarked Dave Elmore, North Tonawanda resident.
Elmore tells me he has fond memories of coming to this mall when he was a teen.
"We spent a lot of weekends coming up and walking around the mall,” Elmore recalled. “What was your favorite part about coming here? “Where did you go?” Buckley asked. “The food court -- it was a blast,” replied Elmore.
For someone like me, a baby boomer, who started shopping at this store after it opened in the early 60's. I have some great memories. My mom bought me my first communion dress at the former Sattler's" store that was in this mall. My aunt always brought me here to shop for clothes for my birthday.
"What are some of your best memories of being a mall shopper here at the Boulevard?” Buckley asked. “Oh, well I had some friends that worked at Macy’s, so I would visit them often and I got to know some of the salespeople, you know, during the course of years that I shopped here,” Chory remembered.
“Great memories in this mall. You know this mall was very, very busy and especially the neighborhood — everybody loved this mall,” remarked Asim Mir, shop owner.
Mir has operated his retail stand inside the mall since 2010. He tells me he must move out by April 30th and has nowhere to go.
“No idea. I talked to leasing department – ‘can you give me more time because I’m working here 13 years’, so leasing department said ‘no’,” Mir explained.
I did reach out to developer Douglas Jemal who bought the mall for redevelopment but have yet to receive a response. He plans to bring the property into a new era featuring retail, restaurants, and residential living.
“That's fantastic. Anything new to excite to the area I think would be great,” Elmore said.
The current mall shoppers hope something happens soon at the parcel that stretches over a large portion of Niagara Falls Boulevard, Maple Road and Alberta Drive.
“I appreciate them trying to re-invent the place, you know. it's, it's just taken too long,” commented Chory.
