Monday, September 7, 2015

Olean Center Mall

Unlike the previous two mall posts, this one is about a mall that is still operating to this day. Being my local mall, I can provide a lot of information on this smaller hometown mall built in 1976. Originally anchored by Hills and AM&As, it has seen multiple anchor changes in its anchors over the years. AM&As would become Bon Ton while Ames took over the Hills location. A former movie theater was turned into a JCPenney, which had moved from its location on the west side of town in a former Grant City. (Walmart now sits on the site.) As I mentioned in the first Bradford mall post, it is possible that JCPenney relocated to Olean as the two cities are only about 15 miles from each other. 

Ames would eventually close with the rest of chain leaving its building to sit empty for a couple of years before JCPenney moved for the third time (possibly fourth) in the area to fill the larger space. As a result, the old JCPenney space sat empty until Steve and Barry's moved in. Of course, just like Ames before it, Steve and Barry's would suffer the same fate by going bankrupt and leaving the space with no activity. In the meantime, a number of stores were pulling out. Some of these stores included Radioshack, Gamestop, GNC, CVS and local store Poor Cow Leather. Being another victim of bankruptcy, Rex appliances also closed during this time-frame. Some good news came in 2012 when not only one store opened, but two stores did. Kohl's opened in the former Steve and Barry's while Sears opened shop inside the mall itself.

Let's start with some exterior photos:

The main entrance.
One of the two back mall entrances. The back two entrances are exactly the same.
You can see the exterior entrance to a former McDonald's to the left in this picture.
Hills, then Ames and now JCPenney

Closeup of the former McDonald's entrance.
Peeking through the windows reveals the old McDonald's flooring style which can still be found at some older locations to this day. 
Originally AM&As, now Bon Ton
Originally a movie theather, then JCPenney, followed by Steve & Barry's and now Kohl's. 
The only exterior changes that were made here the removing of a triangle-shaped entrance from JCPenney to what it is currently and the brown area behind the Kohl's logo. The rest of the exterior remains the same from its days as JCPenney with the exception of the side entrance (which was where the salon and other services were located) being closed. Although I do not have a picture of it, you can still see where the side entrance was to this day though.

The shape of the mall is a T with a slight angle on the Bon Ton and Kohl's end. That angle is where photos of the interior will start.


Kohl's only changed the area around the entrance. The marble on the side is from JCPenney. 

One thing that is odd about this mall is that two of the three anchors are right next to each other. As mentioned above, that is thanks to the old movie theater becoming JCPenney.

Rue 21 took over the former Gamestop (on the left side of its store) when it expanded. Suedehead, a local company, has closed its location at the Olean Center Mall after this picture was taken.
You can see the slight angle in the background occurring. Seasons, the store on the immediate right is a combination of Hallmark and a book store. Also, Bath and Body Works and Hallmark were previously across the hallway in a space that Kohl's has since taken over. Seasons combined Hallmark with an existing bookstore to make a larger store, just like Rue 21 did. Bath and Body Works relocated to the former Sterling Optical space. (seen below)
The bench and grey carpet was previously a mall fountain.
This photo was taken in the same location as the picture above. You are just looking in the opposite direction. The white wall to the right was a Foot Locker.
The 'Whiteout Wall' brought to you by Kohl's. Kohl's took over at least one of the old stores as a stockroom area. Previously Bath and Body Works and Hallmark had stores here. They have since relocated as mentioned above.
A smaller FYE next to the 'whiteout wall.' 
Former Fashion Bug. Used as Spirit Halloween and ToyZam! seasonally.
Moving on down the side, Shoe Dept. manages to hang on next to local store Gift World.

The 'food court' portion as the mall owners call it. Not much food though.
Former local store Poor Cow Leather. Kay has since had this '80s logo removed. A better picture of this particular logo can be found on my Flickr photostream.
The intersection of the mall.
A hometown Sears store now occupies the former CVS.
Sears also uses this storefront. The majority of the storefront is used as Sears' stockroom while the front 1/3 is displays. For some reason the doors were closed at the time of the picture. Sears also uses another former vacant storefront on the left of the store for the same reasons. 
Former REX appliances now being used by Craft Co-op. Craft Co-op was previously in the former CVS space before Sears took it over.
Former McDonald's up close, followed by a former KB Toys and GNC all in a row. The former KB Toys and GNC spaces are now being used as a fitness place since this picture.

This mall isn't exactly healthy, but it isn't dead. I'm curious to see how the 'Walkable Olean' construction on the street that this mall is located on will effect this place. For now, it seems to do okay, but we'll see if that changes....

I leave you with a few historical ariel pictures, with credit given to Bing Maps.

Ames logo was still present for a couple of years before JCPenney took over the space.
JCPenney's old location at the mall.

28 comments:

  1. I like how you describe it - not healthy, but not dead - that's what matters! Having so many storefronts used for stockroom purposes certainly helps to boost the occupancy percentage, if not presentation. They could do some sort of local mural on the whiteout wall by Kohl's.

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    1. A mural would be nice here. There are actually two wall paintings in the food court area near the main entrance. Sadly though, when I was attempting to take a picture of them I was asked politely by security guard to not take pictures inside of this mall. I have visited the mall since that day, but I have not taken interior pictures since that day even though there are a few things that I'd really love too snap a picture of. Granted, that was over 2 years ago, so maybe I should try again. I guess I just don't really dare.

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    2. Oh yeah, that's right - I think I remember reading that on flickr now that you mention it. Trust me, I'm the same way! Best to err on the side of caution...

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  2. What was the small department store right in the middle of the mall across from Sterling Optical and Kay? Was mostly clothing but has some housewares.

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    1. That would of been a Fashion Bug. It has been used as seasonal store as well.

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    2. If you want to go way back, I believe the store name was the Sample.


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    3. Thanks for passing that information. That must of been back in the day as I don't remember that.

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  3. Walkable Olean unfortunately did not do much to help the mall. Kohl's brings in more folks, but has different hours than the mall itself and most who visit Kohls don't continue into the mall proper.

    I wondered if you had any idea who designed the Olean Mall? I noticed the decor (floor tiles, sky lights, light fixtures, plants, fountains, pizza joint) are exactly the same as the Warren, PA Mall. I wonder if there are other malls still alive with this decor.

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    1. Even though this is my local mall, I honestly haven't been to this mall in awhile. 'Walkable Olean' did cause a consignment store to end up moving into the mall from its former location along Union St creating another shuffle. Gift World now occupies the old McDonald's space because of this.

      Kohl's definitely helps the mall pay its bills, but yeah you don't see a lot of foot traffic between the two. As for the design of the mall, Zamais built it and manages it. They also built Warren but they obviously do not manage it anymore. Another mall they manage is the Dubois Mall which is one of the weirdest malls I've ever been too. It is a mix of architecture and design from different time periods. (A post will come soon)

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    2. I don't believe that Zamias built the Olean mall. It was developed by the Butchello family in 1976.

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    3. The Butchello family were the main force behind the mall, but Butchello contracted George Zamias for the actual development of the mall, so it was a Zamias mall, technically.

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  4. Thanks for the response. I find this stuff kind of fascinating for some reason. Looking forward to your review of the Dubois mall!

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  5. Thank you so much for all this. I lived in Olean from 2012-2014 while I worked for Dresser-Rand. The job was awful but I really loved Olean because it still had some continuity to its past (which I know also means stagnation and economic depression). I lived at 313 N Union which was across the street from and between JCC & the food court entrance to the mall. I now know how much was razed to put in the mall, but I thought it was unique to have a mall built right in town instead of at the edge of town as was usually done. I was looking at some photos on a FB group about old Olean just now that showed photos of the movie theater entrance inside and an article about the groundbreaking for the mall which was Friday, August 13, 1976 - just about the time Randall Park Mall was opening 3 hours away in greater Cleveland. Remarkable Randall's long gone but the little mall in Olean is hanging on. I grew up in NE/Eastern Ohio but we lived upstate NY & PA too.

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    1. Cool. I also agree with you about how neat it is location wise too. I'm afraid the mall isn't doing so great anymore sadly. Another post on the update of the mall may be in order.

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  6. When did McDonald's actually close up in the mall

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    1. Not sure, but it was definitely gone before the turn of the century. Best guess is the '90s.

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    2. If memory serves me correctly McDonald's closed sometime in 1996

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  7. What was the name of the bar that was in the mall?

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    1. I'm unaware of there being a bar in this mall.

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    2. It was called "The Brewery" and was located at the end of the hallway across from where Kohl's is now.

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    3. Well this is new to me. I did not know about this before you brought it up.

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  8. JC Penny was originally located on N. Union Street for several years before relocating to the former Grant City building. When Benderson Development was preparing to build the Walmart Plaza, an addition was built onto the Mall for JC Penny (where Kohl's is now). Pennys moved into the former Hills/Ames location so they would have more space.

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    1. I remember JCPenney being where Kohl's is now and was told they had operated a store where Walmart now is in an old Grant City before moving to the mall. They moved into the Ames space in 2007 I believe. Steve & Barry's had a short run in the space before Kohl's opened in 2012. I didn't realize they had a store on North Union though. JCP couldn't make their mind up where they should be I guess.

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  9. What was the name of the original record store? Before it was the Wall or FYE ?

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    1. National Record Mart? I honestly have no idea as it would of been before my time.

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  10. What was the name of the bar that was located in the mall in the mid-1980s? It wasn't there for very long. . .

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    1. This question was asked above. According to the response, it was called "The Brewery."

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