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| The mall and Sears had already been demolished in this mid 1990s satellite view. |
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| Early 2000s satellite view. |
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| A view of the former Caldor turned Walmart. Picture credit to Flickr user snappyjack1. |
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| This Walmart had even kept Caldor's welcome sign in the entrance area. Picture credit to Flickr user snappyjack1. |
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| Current satellite view. |
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| Former Ames |
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| Dick's sporting goods operated out of the backwards 'L' shape seen in the satellite views. (Far left empty space pictured here.) I assume it closed when a Dick's opened as part of Carousel Center's Destiny USA expansion. |
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| Mall redevelopment stores. |
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| Sears/Caldor/Walmart/Target. |
Satellite pictures courtesy of Google Earth.
For what little you say is out there on the history of this mall, you sure have done a great job showing its redevelopment over the years! I especially enjoyed those pictures you found of the old Caldor-turned-Walmart.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yeah, those pics are really neat.
DeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteSears was on the east end of the mall. When it became Ames, they closed the mall entrance and you went out and down the side in an enclosed glass corridor, I presume they already predicted the demise of it as a mall. Dey Brothers was the mid-mall anchor, where Dicks is now. The mall was on one level, but built on a gentle slope and had at least two areas with a wide ramp in the middle and stairs on each side, one adjacent Pavone's Pizza. A Kay Bee was here before going to Camillus Mall, and Cavages Records was there until the end. A G.C. Murphy and Co. was also anchor sized, but located mid-mall, to the west of the Dey Brothers. When Ames took them over it simply closed this store in favor of the new one in the former Sears. The west end I don't recall an anchor, but there was a clothing store of some sort. They tore down part of the west end of the mall and for a time it was a P&C grocery store, they had three of them within six miles between Camillus, Fairmount and Westvale. The area where Caldor was initially was parking lot.
ReplyDeleteThis strip conversion is unusual in the sense that it seems like the stores were made long and deep, the footprint beyond removal of the west end never changed. It must have happened sometime after 1990, as I was able to drive there myself a couple of times when it was dead. Most of what I remember was from going as a child with my family.
Inside was brick and dark wood, 70s era styling, but it had white stucco fountains in several places. I believe in front of Dey Brothers was a mall entrance with a lot of glass.
Looking at the 1990-ish pic maybe they did take down all of the old mall west of the Dey Brothers store. But Sears was definitely what became Ames. And the footprint is mostly the same.
DeleteThere also was a restaurant called Fairway, which dated to the initial plaza, and moved to the K-mart wing in Camillus.
I was getting my information based on what other sites had said which said Sears and Caldor had been based in the same building. But thanks for correcting me! While I'm unlikely to change the pic to reflect this, know that I would like to thank you for correcting me.
DeleteFairmount Fair is one of the oldest shopping centers in New York State - it was a open-air mall when it opened in 1959 (it attracted 50,000 shoppers on its opening day), became an enclosed mall in 1966, and became a strip center some time in the 1990s I think. Camillus Mall was originally Camillus Plaza (dating from 1960s I think) and became an enclosed mall in the early 1980s.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that it ended up going full circle as a shopping plaza when it was originally designed to be one.
DeleteIn 1991 it was on it's last legs as a mall, just Ames, Dey Brothers, Cavages and maybe one other store. What hadn't moved to Camillus a few years previous had been closed, or in the case of Murhpys taken over.
DeleteThe P&C that was built here was a near clone of the one in Mattydale in Airport Plaza, which hasn't changed a lot since it became Topps.
It makes sense this would be dead at that time especially with Camillius so close and Carousel opening.
DeleteI spent a lot of time at Fairmount Fair growing up. In the 1970's, the west end was anchored by an Acme Supermarket -- a chain that left Central New York long ago. The Fairway Restaurant, located in the middle of the mall, was a great family restaurant. In its heyday, the mall included a Friendly's Ice Cream, a G.C. Murphy (a Woolworth's-like department store), a Dey Brothers Department Store, Kay-Bee Toys, a Doktor's Pet Center, and a number of other relatively upscale stores. And some of the best pizza in Syracuse (after Twin Trees, of course) could be found at Pavone's. There were also a number of stores and entertainment venues near the mall -- Williams Wonderful World of Food, Fairmount Glen Miniature Golf, and Carroll's Hamburgers. A lot of good memories there, visiting with family and later hanging out with friends.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your memories, as well as some of its previous tenants, of the mall.
DeleteThe one thing I remember about the mall was the white stucco fountains and the carpeting. I don't remember ever going into another mall that was carpeted. The mall had a specific smell and I'm pretty sure if someone walked me into something that smelled like it, I'd instantly recognize it as the Fairmount Fair Mall smell.
ReplyDeleteNeat! That would of been something to see for sure.
DeleteShoppingtown has carpet on the ramp portion of the mall. Of course Shoppingtown is pretty much dead.
I grew up in Westvale. Fairmount Fair Mall was our mall. We ride our bikes down the hill beside Wegmans and lick up outside either Sears or Dey Bros. First stop was Pavones! We sit in the back where all the graffiti was on the walls. Then off to G.C. Murphy's. Candy, toys, they had it all! Always made a stop to Great Games the arcade then across the other side to sporting goods store. Can't remember the name of the store. Of course when I needed a haircut I went to Zizza's to see Frank. A great mall I will never forget!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memories. It sounds like you enjoyed the mall.
DeleteWould also like to add that in its early days, Fairmount Fair had a lot of community things going on, such as a traveling planetarium, live music, etc. As a strip center, it is still very much alive, I just did some Christmas Eve shopping there and it was hopping. It continues to attract desirable (nice, though not upscale) tenants, a moribund Party City is about to move out and a Core Life Eatery is about to move into its spot.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I guess Party City opted not to renew its lease.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteKnow these postings are old, but in case you're interested I grew up in the mall during the 1960s. I believe it may have been the first enclosed mall in CNY, competing with Shoppingtown, which at the time was not enclosed (ie a strip shopping center. At the time it was anchored by Murphys (at the east end) and Acme Food Markets at the west end. My mother mamaged a womens clothing store there (The Ormands Shop) and did window dressing for several stores. Other stores included Joe Charles Sports, Charneys Mens Store, a musical instrument store and a restaurant. The tag line for its advertising was 'it's always 72° in the mall.' A great feature during the cold winters and even on a hot summer day. I spent many an afternoon at the mall waiting for my mom to close-up shop & head home.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very specific thing to use as a tag line. Hopefully they were watching the temperature very closely! lol
DeleteThank you for sharing your memories, as well as some of its previous tenants, of the mall.
My very first job in high school was working at the Irene Shop in fairmount fair...owned by a Jewish couple and their son, sold infant and children's clothing. Across the other side not too far from it was Bond's department store, my second job--mens and womenswear. This was 1970-71 I remember a great new york pizza place, a Woolworths lunch counter where I ate on lunch break, and dey brothers along with onandaga bank. The rest is pretty fuzzy... LoL
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your memories, as well as some of its previous tenants, of the mall.
DeleteAny body remember roof cave-in when Sears was there. they were lucky because it happen to ones stock rooms on north side of the store next to Day Brothers. They tore old Sears down to make way for new Ames store.
ReplyDeleteThe mall owners convince sears move to Camillus And Paid for the move.rummer says it was a Bad move sales dropped 30% after the move. My favorite store was Gerber Music witch i bought all 45's at. Gerber Music was an original anchor later sold to Cavages .
Ouch, probably didn't make Sears to thrilled.
DeleteI was a teen in the late 70's and went to Fairmount Fair quite a bit. We always entered at Deys. I can still remember the layout of that store. Friendlys across from Deys and then Pavones Pizza. The ramp with benches to sit was a little ways up. Same side as Deys was a Spencers, Addis & Co., and Flahs which were beautiful department stores. Also the Lerner Shop on that same side and then a Casual Corner. I know there were more but these stand out the most. Miss that little mall!
ReplyDeleteVery neat to hear of your experience!
DeleteThe Ames at Fairmount Fair was store #417 which tells me it used to be something else and Ames bought whatever chain it was. Maybe the G.C. Murphys?
ReplyDeleteCertainly a possibility.
Delete