Retrofit Atlas

Malls · New York

Eastern Hills Mall

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedDemolishedClarence, NY

Opened 1971. Redeveloped in 2025.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
What it becameoffice, retail, data center, hotel, mixedextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year2025extracted, unreviewed
Walkability8.7 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.

Map view. No verified photo yet. Send one.

Site profile15 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
JCPenneyThis site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this
SearsThis site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this
WoolworthThis site: Woolworth wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
Website dead or redirectingThis site: …http://www.amysfinejewelry.com/ overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 36,081 on 78 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 1 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
Low social vulnerability tract (SVI ≤ 0.25)This site: 0.12 cdc-svi · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Partial demolition began in 2024 as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development. extraction · all sites with this
New use
EducationThis site: …olition began in 2024 as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development. The project would redevelop more than one mill extraction · all sites with this
HotelThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
HousingThis site: …llion square feet of space inside the mall and create 1,400 residential units. extraction · all sites with this
Mixed useThis site: …artial demolition began in 2024 as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development. The project would redevelop more than o extraction · all sites with this
OfficeThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
New usesoffice, retail, data center, hotel, mixedextracted, unreviewed
What is there nowPartial demolition began in 2024 as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development.extracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year2025extracted, unreviewed
RedeveloperUniland Developmentextracted, unreviewed

Planning

Zoning changeapprovedextracted, unreviewed
Entitlement year2025extracted, unreviewed
Planning notesThe project would redevelop more than one million square feet of space inside the mall and create 1,400 residential units.extracted, unreviewed

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2019Loan—Gensler ← Uniland Development · lender Uniland DevelopmentWikipedia
2018Sold—Uniland Development ← Mountain Development CorporationWikipedia

Site context

FEMA flood zoneX · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m9: ACURA OF AMHERST; BITTERMANS AUTOMOTIVE CENTER INC; BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE; DAN GEORGER MITSUBISHI; FIRESTONEEPA FRS
Census tract 360290146015,268 people, 1,218 per sq mi; median household income $82,210; median gross rent $1,642; 34% renters; 4.8% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 8.7 of 20; 50 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.81; 67,031 jobs within 45 min by car; 5% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)5 of 6 daily needs: 1 grocers, 0 schools, 2 parks or playgrounds, 2 health, 2 civic, 10 food and drink; 5 cycleway segments, 63 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity ZonenoHUD
Housing permits, Erie County (NY), 2024578 units in 5+ unit buildings, 46 in 2–4, 584 single-family; 2023: 404 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.12; socioeconomic 0.14; housing and transport 0.13; 13% below 150% of poverty; 6% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby0 within 10 km, 7 within 25 kmcomputed
Overture Mapsplace Amy's Fine Jewelry - Eastern Hills Mall (uncategorised, confidence 0.85, from Microsoft, Overture); building footprint 41,009 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and socialwww.amysfinejewelry.com (down or redirecting, status 0)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views70,342 since 2015; 4,195 in the last 12 months (-19% vs the prior 12); peak 2024-01 with 1,487Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +8% (4,899 → 5,268); median income +23% ($66,875 → $82,210); renters 27% → 34%; median home value +71% ($168,800 → $288,600)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)very low overall (score 15.5); expected annual loss $1.1M; high: cold wave; community resilience very highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20233,116 establishments (-7%); 49,839 jobs (-6%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $295,625 (+3% 1 yr, +31% 5 yr); typical rent $1,480/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025489 (2000 = 100); +14.7% 1 yr, +56% 5 yr, +98% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)36,081 vehicles a day on 78 (principal arterial, 6 lanes); 1,624 trucks; 27 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Eastern Hills Mall opened in 1971 and underwent renovations in 1987 and 2005. Beginning in 2016, key anchor stores closed, including Macy's, Bon‑Ton, and Niagara Emporium. Partial demolition started in 2024 as part of a plan approved in 2025 to redevelop the site into a mixed‑use campus.

Why. The record shows anchor store losses as a primary driver of decline, leading to the decision to demolish and redevelop. No explicit mention of competition, debt, or other causes is provided.

Where it stands. The mall is currently demolished and controlled by Uniland Development, which owned the property from 2018 to 2025.

For a planner

  • Zoning change approved and entitlement granted in 2025 enable >1 million sq ft of mixed‑use development.
  • Planning notes indicate a target of 1,400 residential units, raising questions about infrastructure and affordable housing provision.
  • Prior partial demolition in 2024 provides a precedent for phased redevelopment while preserving some structures.

For a developer

  • Site size exceeds one million square feet of redevelopable space.
  • Control lies with Uniland Development, which holds the entitlement approved in 2025.
  • Located on Transit Road near NY‑78/NY‑5, offering transit access; flood‑plain and environmental constraints are not detailed in the record.
  • County population grew 3.3% 2018‑23 and the plan includes housing, indicating market demand for residential units.

What we do not know yet

  • Exact extent of demolition and remaining structures are not specified.
  • Environmental review status, flood‑plain risks, and utility capacity are absent from the record.
  • Financing details for the mixed‑use campus beyond the 2019 loan are not provided.
  • The verified status is draft, so some fields (e.g., opp_score reasons) may be model‑extracted and unreviewed.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Lockport Mall, South Lockport, NY · Malls · opened 1971; same strategy: redevelop; also in NY
  • Summit Park Mall, Wheatfield, NY · Malls · opened 1972; same strategy: redevelop; also in NY
  • Mohawk Mall, Niskayuna, NY · Malls · opened 1970; same strategy: redevelop; also in NY
  • New Rochelle Mall, New Rochelle, NY · Malls · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in NY

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built
  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • county grew 3.3% 2018–23
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened1971extracted, unreviewed
Original developerEdward J. DeBartolo Corporationextracted, unreviewed
AnchorsJCPenney, Sears, Woolworth, AM&A's, Jenss, Hengerer's
CountyErie County
Census division2 · Mid-Atlantic
NotesWikipedia categories: Defunct shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Eastern Hills Mall is a shopping mall located 11 miles northeast of Buffalo, New York, United States, on the western border of the Town of Clarence in Erie County. It lies on Transit Road. The mall is north of the junction of NY-78 with NY-5, and Main Street. The name "Eastern Hills" refers to the very low hills that contribute to a slightly higher elevation than the bordering areas along the Onondaga Escarpment. Eastern Hills Mall is part of a long commercial strip on Transit Road. Currently the mall is anchored by JCPenney, Raymour & Flanigan, and Orvis.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1969 Construction began
  2. 1971 Opened
  3. 1987 Renovation added food court
  4. 2005 Cosmetic renovation
  5. 2016 Macy's closure
  6. 2018 Bon-Ton closure
  7. 2023 Niagara Emporium closure
  8. 2024 Partial demolition
  9. 2025 Redevelopment approved

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Eastern Hills Mall · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year opened, zoning change
    15 quoted sentences
    The mall was opened on November 8, 1971.
    The mall was developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation.
    Partial demolition will begin on the mall as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development.
    Partial demolition will begin on the mall as part of a plan for a new mixed-use campus development.

More in New York

Albee Square MallBrooklyn, NY · 2012Redeveloped · Redevelopment: mixed useAmsterdam Riverfront CenterAmsterdam, NY · 2011Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: office and self-storageComo MallCheektowaga, NY · 1991Reinhabited · Reinhabitation, office and educationMain Place MallMain Place MallBuffalo, NY · 2013Partial Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: data centerMidtown PlazaMidtown PlazaRochester, NY · 2005Partial Redeveloped · Regreened · Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: residential Partial redevelopment: office…Rainbow MallRainbow MallNiagara Falls, NY · 2012Partial Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: education