Buffalo's Boulevard Mall
The original BOULEVARD MALL trademark, circa-1962. Umbrella-motif logos such as this were used to promote many of America's early enclosed shopping centers.
Graphic from Forest City Enterprises
BOULEVARD MALL vies with Long Island's WALT WHITMAN CENTER for the distinction of first enclosed mall in New York State. The first operational store at WALT WHITMAN CENTER opened in March 1962, with a mall-wide dedication held on November 23, 1962. An initial grand opening was held at BOULEVARD MALL on November 6, 1962.
Photo from http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com
A vintage view of the 200-foot-long shopping concourse. The "Sattler's 998" mallway entrance is seen on the right. The store's numeric designation was a homage to the address of the downtown Buffalo Sattler's, at 998 Broadway.
Photo from http://www.flickriver.com / "Flickriver PhotoStream" / William Bird
BOULEVARD was the first of ten major malls built in the Niagara Frontier between 1962 and 1989. In 1963, the newly-completed mall encompassed approximately 491,400 leasable square feet and housed thirty-six stores. Its parking area accommodated 5,000 autos.
BOULEVARD MALL TENANTS 1963:
SATTLER'S 998 (with restaurant, beauty salon, Food Market and parcel pick-up service) / JENSS BOULEVARD (with beauty salon) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / ACME MARKETS / KLEINHANS men's & boy's wear / Al Brownrout Fisheteria / A.S. Beck Shoes / Bond Clothes / Boulevard Barber Shop / Burczynski Bakery / Cataract Loan Company / Cavages Records & Cards / David's Specialty Shop ladies' wear / Dixies Sample Hat Shops / Edwards Shoes / Elkin Brothers / Fanny Farmer Candies / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Goldman's Shoes / Gray Drug (with luncheonette) / Gutman's ladies' wear / J & A Maternity / Joseph M. Dramer / Krasner's ladies' wear / Laux Sporting Goods / Manufacturers & Traders Trust / Mall Restaurant / Martin's Men's Wear / Miles Shoes / Morrison's ladies' wear / Putnam's Pet Shop / Reed's Jewelers / Singer Sewing Center / The Sample Casual Shops / Thom McAn Shoes / Wagner Optical
The first BOULEVARD MALL expansion got underway in 1969 and was completed in February 1971. A J.C. Penney anchor store and freestanding Auto Center were added to the northeast corner of the complex.
Photo from https://www.flickr.com / Jack Thomas
A circa-1980 plan shows three additions. A twin cinema (in dark gray) opened in 1966 and has been remade into a tri-plex. As mentioned, Penney's built a third anchor store. A southward expansion (in light gray) was dedicated in March 1979. With its completion, the shopping facility spans around 786,700 leasable square feet, with eighty-three stores and services.
The image above -and two that follow- present a visual history of the
mall's original anchor department store. Buff-based Sattler's opened at
the mall in November 1962. The chain folded in 1982, with the
BOULEVARD MALL store remaining in business until it closed for good, in January 1983.
Graphics from United Department Stores
BOULEVARD MALL was expanded again between 1992 and 1994. The Picnic Place Food Court (in light gray) was added to the southeast corner. A freestanding Bob's Store (in dark gray) was also built in the mall's southern periphery. The complex was given an indoor-outdoor face lift in 1996-'97. When construction dust settled, it covered approximately 966,700 leasable square feet.
The turn of the century brought a third rebranding of the mall's original anchor store. Built as a Buffalo-based "Sattler's 998," it morphed into a Rochester-based Sibley's in October 1983 and Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's in April 1990. In February 2006, a Macy's nameplate was installed.
Photo from https://www.flickr.com / Jack Thomas
A 2010s view of Center Court...which is quite a contrast to the vintage interior photo above!
Photo from https://douglasdevelopment.com / Douglas Development
Bonefish Grill was one of three sit-down restaurants added to the shopping center during a 2006 face lift. It is the only one of the three still in business.
Photo from https://douglasdevelopment.com / Douglas Development
