Latham Circle Mall; Latham, New York
After a rather long dry spell (since November), I managed to get out for a day this past weekend to re-visit all of the malls in the Albany area, one of my favorite metropolitan areas for retail development within easy reach of Boston. I hadn’t actually been out to visit since 2001, so it was a fun (and revelatory, but not necessarily in the good way) trip. I plan on posting a full-scale case study along with posts of each of Albany’s malls soon, but I wanted to cut to the chase with a truly fun one.
When I last visited Latham Circle Mall in 2001, it was a mostly-thriving, older mall with predominantly ancillary tenants that served Albany’s northern suburbs and the Troy area. Too close to Albany’s powerhouse to malls to be truly dominant, the still-quite-large (somewhere around 700,000 square feet) Latham Circle Mall was at the time holding its own. Six years can change a lot, however, and on my visit this past week I was sad to find it’s now somewhat dingy and troubled, pockmarked with vacancies. It’s a shame because Latham Circle is a real doozy, and one of the more curious malls in the northeast.
Latham Circle is one of the oldest malls in the Albany area, originally opening as a 1950s-vintage outdoor shopping center with WT Grant’s, Woolworth’s, and Grand Union as anchor stores. The mall was enclosed sometime in the 1960s or 1970s (I’m not able to pin down an exact date) and added Caldor and The Boston Store (not the midwestern one!) as anchors, while WT Grant became a JCPenney. In the 1980s, the mall was expanded, with JCPenney moving to a new space outside their old one, and converting their old space into a cavernous mall area with a Regal Cinemas stowed on the second level, cantilevered above the mall.
Latham Circle Mall began to experience some uncertainty in the late 1990s. Woolworth closed their store when the chain shuttered, and they were replaced by a Stein Mart that lasted only until 2001. Similarly, the mall’s large Caldor store shut with the chain in 1999. The Caldor, along with much of the wing leading to it, was demolished in 2003 to make room for a Lowe’s Home Improvement store that, perhaps not unexpectedly, does not open into the mall.
What really makes Latham Circle Mall interesting, however, is its exceedingly strange layout and decor. The mall abounds with architectural “treats:” hallways that don’t match other parts of the mall, unusually high ceilings, mysterious second levels that sprout and don’t lead anyplace. I’ve attempted to provide a rough sketch of the floorplan of the mall as it existed in 2000, upon my first visit (and before the demolition of the Caldor and most of the rest of its wing took some of the personality out of the place):
There are basically four vastly different portions of the mall (there used to be five). From north to south:
- The newest JCPenney/Regal Cinemas area, with its extremely high ceilings and white walls.
- The main corridor, with a pitched roof and “elephant earring” light fixtures (as Prangeway would say). This also includes a special wing for the food court; at the back of the food court is an abandoned and derelict second level (which I included one shot of; I wanted more but two ladies kept eyeing me strangely, perhaps with good reason) that is visibly stuck in the early 1970s, and I have no idea what it was even used for.
- The center court area, around Burlington Coat Factory
- The former Stein Mart/Woolworth wing, which has two vastly different ceiling heights running straight down the center of the mall
- And the fifth, deceased wing is the Caldor wing, which used to be a two-level area with a second level of offices looking down into the mall. Most of this wing is gone, but I included a few pictures that grab some small bits of it for posterity. If you want to know what it looked like pre-2003, check out DeadMalls set of photos, which includes one amazingly awesome shot of the former Caldor frontage as I remember it.
Why is Latham Circle dying? The Capital Region of New York, with a population of about 800,000, was at one point home to no less than 11 enclosed malls, several of which have already shut. The catalyst for the change, however, was the 1984 opening of the behemoth Crossgates Mall, the area’s true powerhouse center. Even though the area is overmalled, Latham Circle stands a chance: but it will need to act fast to clean itself up and attract some new tenants to fill its vacancies. Enjoy the photos, all taken this past weekend.
(Also, visit Jack Thomas’ page on the mall too–he has some photos of his own!)
EDIT 5/20/07: Latham Circle Mall to Explore New Lifestyle
The aging Latham Circle Mall is going to be extensively renovated beginning this summer. While the mall will not be fully disenclosed, much of the focus will be turned back outside, including the addition of an outdoor courtyard in the center of the existing mall, which will feature al fresco dining. The existing food court will also become a new anchor store.
on February 14th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Funky.
on February 14th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
woah..you are right..this mall has a lot ceiling changes throughout! This mall is actually unique & kinda feels like it has a lot of substance. But…im getting a feeling that the mall used to be used for some other purpose due to the different ceiling changes. or maybe the architect wasn’t okay & that’s what was the fad back then.
on February 14th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
this mall is almost not needed. I do not consider it a real mall. I mean the colonie centre and crossgates mall are like a billion times better than this. before I went here a year ago my friends at the plymouth state university from albany warned me about how awful this mall is. and they are right! the mall had a funny smell and layout.
on February 14th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Wow, this mall’s layout and design are very bizarre. Extremely erratic, nothing consistent at all, very strange. Funny how theres two JCPenney logos, one that’s illuminated and one that seems to be painted on part of the ceiling towards the skylight. Why is it called Latham Circle Mall when it doesn’t even come close to being shaped like a circle. If you look at the aerial view its more L shaped than anything.
on February 14th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
It’s located at the Latham Traffic Circle (look at the satellite view, you’ll see it) hence its name.
on February 14th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
The mall is certainly suffering from identity crisis today. Looks like it’s from some disjointed dream held together with a bevy of cheap decals and questionably incomplete decor from scattered eras. This has got to be one of the most unusual layout malls I’ve ever seen though because of those random staircases to “upper levels”. Looks like those upper levels are just empty rooms (especially that one over the bathrooms). That Caldor interior entrance must’ve been the coolest one yet. Which photo shows where it was before they demo’d it?
I would have a field day photographing here… also looks like there’s plenty of blind areas to avoid possible security run-ins. Too bad they painted over the Caldor mural…
on February 14th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
The photo below is what’s left of the old Caldor wing. The photo on deadmalls would’ve been taken from somewhere right around the point where it ends currently–it was a reasonably long side hallway.
on February 14th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Yeah, it’s actually kinda sad the condition the place is in. A couple of historical things I can fill in. The main mall was enclosed in 1977 from the original JCPenney (an original anchor, and I believe the Albany suburbs’ first) on to the exit by Woolworths. You can still see beams extending from Burlingtons on out where the builders must have kept the low ceilings going from where the plaza’s roof overhang was. The second level above the dead Caldor wing is pretty impressive as it leads to a full scale college. Also Woolworths closed about 1993 and was replaced by Klein’s All Sports, which later moved when SteinMart opened. Outside of Klien’s I remmber was a small portion of the original plaza remaining. However, no real new info has come from the owners (An independent company) on what they plan to do with the site. I haven’t heard the words big box or anything. But something has to be done soon, the mall now is devoid of almost all chain stores and has primarily local tenants who probably sign on for short term leases. Last time I was there Radio Shack, Waldenbooks, CVS, KB, GNC, and the dollar store had all closed.
on February 15th, 2007 at 2:34 am
Hey Caldor, thanks for linking my site. This is one of my favorite dying malls. One of the few dying malls left in the area to be honest. I hope this mall stays, and most likely it will, for the owner of the mall owns the Malt River restaurant inside the mall. It was a shame the Caldor mural was painted over, and that the Caldor wing was demolished as it was(I actually had the pleasure of seeing it in person, but I did not own a camera at the time). A sad story for a great mall.
on February 16th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
I’d bet big bucks this mall will be gone in a few years. They haven’t put anything into the design, colors, layout, floor, or much at all. It’s really sad when its this apparent they don’t give a darn. Lowes is probably what this mall will grow to be more like. A power center… like any other in North America.
Scott
on February 21st, 2007 at 6:35 pm
[…] Latham Circle Mall - This older mall (which was originally constructed as a plaza in the 1950s and enclosed in the early 1970s) is struggling against its larger competition, and was partially big-boxed with the addition of a Lowe’s store in 2003. Current anchors are JCPenney, Burlington Coat Factory, and Lowe’s. […]
on February 21st, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I am trying to find some pictures of the Latham Corners Shopping Center (that’s what the mall was called back when it was a good place to go).I have been unsuccessful as of yet. If anyone could help, I can be reached at cjhanley2003@yahoo.com Thanks.
on February 22nd, 2007 at 12:57 am
Finding historic images is tough but usually helps if you get to your local libraries. I need to do some of that soon myself but it could become very time-consuming trying to find what you need.
on February 22nd, 2007 at 5:28 am
[…] XISMZERO: Finding historic images is tough but usually helps if you get to your local libraries. I need to do some of… […]
on March 5th, 2007 at 3:44 am
it has come to my attention recently that they will be tearing down latham mall quite soon in favor of a technically advanced strip mall type thing but nothing is CERTAIN yet and it would be sad because i still go there every now and then (not in like 2 months) to buy stuff for my guitar and buy jewlry for the woman at the rodgers store that was there last time i was
on March 27th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
We participated in a car show at this mall recently and although being light in the store department, it was great. Certainly one of the most friendly venues we could ever go to.
I hate to see it go the way of Mohawk Commons or Clifton Park Center. This is the Northeast. We need indoor shopping centers and who wants to deal with the enormity of Crossgates or parking nightmare at Colonie Center?
on March 31st, 2007 at 4:22 am
Thanks for writing this article about the Latham Circle Mall, Caldor. I actually grew up just a few miles from here during the 70s and 80s. I remember all of the anchor stores from when I was a child, and how it change in the late 80s & 90s. I remember the Boston store, and Woolworth. I want to say that one of these two stores had a candy counter that my mother bought me those swedish fish from occassionally. I also remember when they built Caldor too. We used to shop at the Grand Union there all the time.
This mall’s heyday was definitely back then. My father still lives in the area, and every once in a while I visit the mall. Each time I am more and more disappointed about how it looks.
I would be disappointed if the mall closed. It was part of my childhood, and would hate to see it go. I honestly don’t think anyone will sink the money into it to update it, especially with Crossgates and Colonie Mall nearby. I suspect that eventually it will be torn down and then built up with businesses similar to what you would find in the Latham Commons.
My parents moved to Latham in the early 70s. My mother’s father remembered traveling through Latham in the 40s and 50s. Somewhere we have a picture of the actual circle from the 40s.
on April 5th, 2007 at 1:52 am
I went to this mall last weekend and I must say it was a surreal experience. I felt like I had gone through a wormhole and ended up back in 1983. I hope this mall sticks around for a while in case I ever want to have another time travel adventure.
on April 7th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I worked at this mall till about February of this year, when F.Y.E. closed in this mall. I used to come here as a kid and loved it. The mall used to be packed with stores and there was alot to do there. The FYE and Borders Books both closed earlier this year and left the mall with maybe 7 stores remaining. The people who own/run the mall do nothing to save it.
No one wants to move into the mall because the owners take no care of the mall. There are 2 security guards, 1 janitor and 1 receptionist “running” the entire mall.Theft is huge, and often due to the lack of security and vast amounts of “escape routes” for thieves. Major leaks in the roof, and a big mouse problem.
This mall could really have a comeback if it really wanted to, but it would require a major overhaul of the exterior and interior of the mall. Part of what I love about the mall was the very retro look in some parts, makes me real nostalgic to when the mall was great and filled. Now if there were 30 people in the mall at once I’d be surprised.
on April 14th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Thanks to everyone at this blog and at DeadMalls for all the info and memories! I remember the outdoor mall very well, as we went there a lot when I was little. My mom’s best friend and her family lived in Latham and we used to go to the mall a lot. We used to go to the enclosed mall, too, up until the mid-80s. I’m still living in the area but haven’t been inside this mall in a solid 10 or more years. I only go mall shopping a few times a year (when my husban’ds relatives visit from England) and we usually go to Crossgates. More razzle-dazzle for the British tourists and all of that. I’ll hate to see this mall go, but it seems pretty much inevitable at this point. And I can’t really complain, because I didn’t support it.
on May 8th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
It looks sooooo empty! It’s kinda weird looking too.. especially the funny ceiling heights
on May 20th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I’m looking forward to making this a destination in a few days but am concerned about the batillions of one-way mirrors. Seeing as my objective is photography, I’m hoping there aren’t many people in there hoping to tag a suspicious folk or two. I hope this place is as dead as it presumes… I really want to explore that weird stairways to what looks to be an absent room!
on May 30th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Here’s some concept imagery of Latham Circle Mall’s redevelopment. You know, it actually looks like it will finally be… complete. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it here as I recently wanted but I hope to make it here in the next week or two before they begin.
on May 30th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Here’s some concept imagery of Latham Circle Mall’s redevelopment. You know, it actually looks like it will finally be… complete. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it here as I recently wanted but I hope to make it here in the next week or two before they begin.
http://www.cameronllc.com/PropertyDisplay.aspx?id=1019
on May 31st, 2007 at 8:59 am
Since it mentions Lowe’s and “major redevelopment”, Lowe’s just might open into the mall. Oddly, it mentions Burlington Coat Factory as an anchor and not Belk. When did this happen?
on May 31st, 2007 at 10:36 am
Where did you get Belk from? This mall never had a Belk. Burlington used to be… oh, something.
And no, according to the proposed site plan, Lowe’s won’t open out to the mall.
on May 31st, 2007 at 11:24 am
Stupid me! I must have thought something else. Belk was never there.
on June 19th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Well I had a very interesting time here yesterday and had an equally interesting confrontation with mall security. Read about it here: http://thecaldorrainbow.blogspot.com/2007/06/languishing-latham-circle-mall.html
on July 6th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I have mixed feelings about the redevelopment. Looks great. But if I ruled the mall, I’d keep everything enclosed, and make Lowe’s have an interior entrance.
on September 8th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
(reads redevelopment plan)
Not bad, not bad. Personally, I’d let Chico’s and Lowe’s have an interior entrance, enclose the courttard with a high, arching roof, and move Micheal’s and Circuit City to outparcel spots. What is Micheals, Namco, and “Krazy City”?
on September 8th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Michaels is a craft store. Namco is an arcade/family fun center, and Krazy City is… I dunno, probably another of the same.
on September 9th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Does anyone have a map of the mall today, with the dead ends and sights of the random 2nd levels?
In fact, the redevelopment plan only shows a larger box for the second level and one shot with escalators, an elevator, and a sign that reads “Cinema Village”.
Does anyone have a list of the current stores?
on September 10th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I can’t find a current map of the mall unfortunately.
on September 11th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
I wish they would keep the mall just the way it is…it seems better that way somehow.
on October 4th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
I don’t think its gonna work. First of all, no work seems to have been started yet, and secondly the tenant mix is really really weird!
There’s a tiny mall, from the street it will have typical big boxes…Lowe’s, Circuit City, Micheals, then suddenly goes upscale, with Chico’s, Bonefish Grill, Ann Taylor Loft, Bath & Body Works, and a few other shops.
on October 12th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
If I was to decide another layout for this mall, I’d work out a slightly different plan. I would add a second level to the mall, adding in grander skylights, letting both BCF and JCPenney have second-floor entrances. Next, I would open an interior entrance to Lowe’s. On the upper level, instead of Lowe’s, it would lead to Krazy City. Old Navy would take an upper level spot, and Circuit City and Micheals would move to next to Lowe’s, disconnected from the mall. The food court is retenanted. Then, the mall is retenanted with a mixture of local and national shops.
on October 12th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I just moved back to the area and was surprised to see the state that Latham Circle Mall has fallen into, I was quite shocked to learn that Burlington Coat Factory AND the CVS were gone, they were the only two stores I frequented at LCM.
I hope I’m not repeating information, but what makes this mall even QUIRKIER is the fact that it once housed a radio station cluster (until 2005 or so) and currently houses a school. The offices in the upper part of the mall are quite interesting.
on October 13th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Burlington Coat Factory is gone? Seriously? That’s terrible…this mall is doomed.
on October 13th, 2007 at 10:46 am
I apologize, I assumed that Latham Circle Mall had lost Burlington Coat Factory as it is now open in Crossgates. My apologies.
on December 3rd, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I googled Latham Circle Mall to find that renovation has not yet begun, but they’re still planning it.
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2007/11/05/story8.html
Part of me wants to say that construction will begin in 2008 but the other part will say that they’ll keep insisting that it would be done while the mall slinks toward oblivion.
on January 10th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
More news bits and pieces:
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2007/11/26/daily33.html
This one explains another plan has been submitted to Albany, since it was from November. It also mentions the name change, the owner’s toying with various names. I say the name will be something like “Latham Town Center”.
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2007/12/10/daily15.html
This one has announced Texas Roadhouse will move in. The one here in Texas (naturally) is packed, hopefully Latham’s will be the same.
on February 15th, 2008 at 1:44 am
My girlfriend and I worked at this mall from 2001 to 2004 and there were many store closings happening around that time. I worked at the Gateway computer store while she worked at several locations, including the now closed Carlton Cards, Joyce Leslies and JC Penney. There used to be two arcades, one in the food court and another in the wing that used to lead to Caldor. The food court also had a Chinese stand and also an Arbys. There also used to be a Papa Ginos, GNC, KB Toys, McDonalds, FYE, a pet store, a candy shop and several others that I recall from my employment there and from when I was younger.
Also, does anyone have anything on Northway Mall? I can remember that mall vividly, including how it had a small chapel next to Montgomery Wards. If anyone has pictures, please post them and if anyone is interested in the stores that were there, let me know.
on March 21st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Is there any more information on the mall’s renovation, or better yet, its early days as an outdoor mall?
on May 6th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Coulda sworn there was a Rex here (I think it was in the Retail Stories blog pictures)…it seems to have closed (as per their website)
on May 6th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
News flash!
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=685500&category=BUSINESS&newsdate=5/2/2008&TextPage=2
Woo-hoo, foreclosure! Now, all it takes is a wrecking ball to force the remaining two dozen stores out, and redevelop it into a power center!
on May 16th, 2008 at 4:09 am
I am a past resident of troy which was a short trip from latham circle and I used to love going there as a kid when it used to have tons of stores it is a part of a capital regions history hens if you are from the cities or towns surrounding latham circle I wish they don’t close it down some 80’s highschool movies I watch kida make me think of the mall back when the place was booming and a nice place to buy toys or a card from the dollar store.also is there any new news on this as I am nolonger living in the capital district but 3 hours away 5 minutes next to another 5 years dead mall soon to be
on June 25th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Maybe Latham Circle can still survive with a bit of love. OK, first, force Lowe’s to open into the mall. Then, paint the outside of the mall, add a big box bookstore, maybe a grocery store, and another discount store (maybe a new concept!)
Obviously, the hard part is doing a cheap renovation without looking too cheap.
on July 10th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Salvatore,
I would be interested in anything you had on Northway Mall. I do not have any pictures, however I remember it quite vivdly. I used to get dragged there a lot as a kid due to it being home to one of the first Kids ‘R Us stores. I remember it was pretty small, and at least through the eyes of a kid, pretty boring. I remember it was roughly L-shaped with Marshalls, Woolworth, and Montgomery Ward anchoring the main mall and Silo, Chuck E Cheeses. JoAnn Fabrics, SO Fro Fabrics, Lechmere, and BJ’s had locations on the mall property. Other stores that I recall included a dollar store, Famous Footwear, Time Out Arcade, CVS, Friar Tuck Bookstore, Afterthoughts, Shoe Works, a short-lived Sam Goody, S&K, and Dress Barn. This would make a good write-up. it had been a strip center anchored by a Target for about 8 years now.
on July 17th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Its funny that the busiest place in this mall seems to be the Old Country Buffet.
on July 22nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Latham Circle Mall does have something going for it, though…cheapest rents in town! The owner of store My Wicks rented a 1600 sq. ft. store front for the same price as a 6-foot long push cart at CLIFTON PARK CENTER. Imagine what Crossgates would’ve charged!
on August 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am
loveminuszero ,
I will post all the info I have on Northway Mall in the NWM page of the site very soon, please keep an eye out for it.
on August 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I went to Latham Circle recently and was happy to find that the 25-cent kiddie rides still work. It was a blast.
on September 24th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
The ceiling height differences resulted when the “mall” was added to the “shopping center.” Formerly, it was shaped like a big Z in reverse. Where the outdoor sidewalks were became half of the mall hallway.
Original anchors are Grand Union out front(furtherest on the left/south), Boston Store (now Burlington Coat Factory–or at least it was still open last I knew ) in the corner in the back, WT Grant (that then became Denby’s then later the food court when Denby’s went) and JCPenney, which at the time was the farthest store on the right/north. Woolworth was on the plane facing north, between the front section and Boston Store. I want to say it was around 1977-78 that the changed Latham Corners Shopping Center into Latham Circle Mall. Caldor was added after that, around 1982 or 1983. Also around that time, a new Grand Union was built (which became the Gold’s Gym, which is now gone for Lowe’s). I remember going to Barnet’s Toys and Donnely Shoes, plus the Boston Store, when I was growing up.
on September 30th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Trouble for Latham Circle: city takes no action on proposed Texas Roadhouse:
http://blogs.timesunion.com/business/?p=4743