DEAD MALL - CHAUTAUQUA MALL - Lakewood, NY

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🏢 History: The DeBartolo Era & Retail Boom
The Opening (1971): Developed by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., the mall opened as the premier retail hub for Chautauqua County and regional tourists.
The Golden Era: It was anchored by major names like Sears, JCPenney, Woolworth, and The Bon-Ton, surviving various retail shifts through successful late-90s renovations.
The Decline (2010s): National retail closures hit hard. Sears and The Bon-Ton shuttered, leaving JCPenney and Planet Fitness as the primary surviving anchors.
Current Ownership: The property is owned by Kohan Retail Investment Group, a firm known for buying distressed malls, which recently won legal battles to slash the property's tax assessment due to high vacancies.
🏗️ Present Day Plans: Adaptive Reuse & De-Malling
Outparcel Development: Developers are capitalizing on the exterior footprint by carving up parking space for new standalone, high-traffic dining, including a combined Chipotle and Popeyes project.
County Office Relocation: A major proposal is before the Chautauqua County Legislature to convert massive swaths of vacant interior retail space into the new South County Office Building, bringing steady daily foot traffic back to the property.
Lakewood Area Re-Zoning: The village is reviewing a comprehensive "Area Plan" to aggressively rezone the mall, paving the way for long-term mixed-use redevelopment and community-focused infrastructure.

My Etsy store featuring original art:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LydsArtStore?ref=dashboard-header
Grab a copy of my kids books that I illustrated by hand!
A Surprise for Lucy:
https://a.co/d/2QXxc7X
Sunshine’s Trip to the Cat Toy Factory:
https://a.co/d/2fzLRX1

Free coloring pages:
https://eb1b19d894d011f09ce7f55479a86e63.eo.page/c8526

Cash App: $lydwetzel
https://cash.app/$lydwetzel

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Shop:
https://lyd-wetzel-shop.fourthwall.com/

Business Inquiries: [email protected]

Manny Quacioua: https://youtube.com/@MannyQuacioua?si=9aFHFxEV0k9vgkxN