There are about two dozen stores in and around the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood. File photo

America’s shopping evolution began with bustling downtowns in the 1940s and ’50s where residents would congregate — especially on weekends during the holiday season — to celebrate the season while Christmas shopping. Those fond days spark memories of longtime residents from Dunkirk to Jamestown and Warren.

When the stores began moving outside the core areas of the cities, malls took off in popularity. In the early 1970s, the Chautauqua Mall was opened in Lakewood by developer and former San Francisco 49er owner Edward DeBartolo.

Across the border, the Warren Mall opened about nine years later. Dunkirk-Fredonia never had an indoor mall, but the strip of sites in the D&F Plaza, with Sidey’s nearby, was a popular destination.

Today, malls are becoming almost as extinct as pay telephone booths. Though they exist, pedestrian traffic is far from what it was 25 years ago.

A Wall Street Journal article in 2023 noted there were once 25,000 shopping malls in the United States in 1986. One consultant, Nick Egalanian — president of the retail consulting firm Siteworks — expects that number will plummet to about 150 in less than a decade.

In Pennsylvania, House Rep. Joshua Siegel of Allentown lamented the loss of the swarming centers at Christmas that have now become vacant and underused properties. “Shopping malls were once a staple of American culture, but with consumers seeking out online shopping and the closure of stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many shopping malls and plazas have been left vacant and leave an eyesore for the surrounding community,” Siegel wrote while co-sponsoring a bill for economic development in 2023. “Municipalities have proposed revitalizing shopping malls into mixed-use development communities, but developers see these projects as very costly and are hesitant to take on such a vast job.”

Rural areas are not alone in the struggles. In Erie County, N.Y., one former shopping center is at least contemplating a major transformation. Uniland Development Co. and Mountain Development Corp. in Williamsville — north of Buffalo — have unveiled plans for the conversion of the Eastern Hills Mall into a walkable, mixed-use Town Center.

“The Eastern Hills Town Center revitalizes an aging, 100-acre shopping complex through the development of new office, medical, residential, shopping, dining, entertainment, recreational and hospitality uses to create a truly unique environment,” the announcement states. “Ideally located on the Clarence/Amherst border between Main Street, Transit Road and Sheridan Drive, the project has the potential to become a new regional destination for both residents and tourists, as nothing on this scale currently exists in Western New York.”

It is a vision that keeps a piece of the past while creating a new type of community. Both regional malls in our two counties may want to keep an eye on those efforts.

Just this week, two more locations — Five Guys restaurant and FYE entertainment — indicated intentions to leave the Chautauqua Mall, which according to its website has a little more than two dozen options. Ever since Bon-Ton and Sears left within the last decade, the site has suffered from a lack of energy.

Warren Mall is in a more vulnerable position as well. Despite major renovations to “de-mall and create a large open shopping center,” the 233,500-square-foot location has tenants that include Dunham’s Sporting Goods, Ollie’s, Bargain Outlet, Label Shoppers, Shoe Dept, Napoli Pizza and Lee Nails. Cocca Development notes that 82,755 square feet is available for lease.

Fewer retailers at the oversized locations can lead to problems for those who invested years ago. Capital One Shopping Research estimated that vacant malls sold for 43% below their acquisition prices. This number is significant to governments and schools that rely on these properties as part of the tax base.

In 2023, Chautauqua Mall sought a reduction in its assessment from $6 million to $670,000 in a state Supreme Court filing. While the judge agreed to a reduction, the assessment will be $4,020,000 through 2026.

Before 2020, that Lakewood mall land was assessed for nearly $10 million. Today, it’s worth about 60% less, according to the recent ruling.

Those property decreases are being dictated by consumers. More are opting for online deals — rather than heading to brick-and-mortar locations. While that is bad news for larger retailers, including many fighting for survival, it may also be a sign of the resiliency for small businesses that have found a niche while stressing customer service.

That outcome could be a silver lining story for many of the region’s shops and businesses, especially during the holiday season.

John D’Agostino is editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.