The JC Penney was a new construction. Before that it was just a group of mall doors out to the parking lot. I remember having one of those “roller coaster” machines in front of that entrance when I was a kid, you know the kind that was like a spaceship (shaped like a toaster) that closed you inside and showed views of flying and stuff on a screen while the whole thing rocked.

Some corrections and additions…

Chris Whittaker said,
There was a tiny 4 screen theater in this mall as well, but it went the way of the dodo/passenger pigeon once the 12 screen stadium theater complex was built of of Interstate 81.

My response:
It was actually a 3 screen theater. I worked for Loew’s Theaters at the time. The facade of the theater used the same dark brown tile that were originally used for the malls floor. That dreary look stayed after the malls remodel. The triple-plex was closed by Loew’s shortly after the construction of the Hoyt’s Theater on Upper Front St *Off of I-81, now a Regal*. The theater was reopened by a local person as a discount operation, but did not last. After a local indie film cinema burned down, they temporarily used the mall location… but also did not work out. I am guessing because of rent. The rent at the Oakdale Mall is amazingly high for upstate NY. Once Burlington Coat Factory took over the Bradlee’s location, no theater operation would be allowed do to the contract BCF has with Vornado… BCF’s position was that it would take up parking that their shoppers could use.

Chris Whittaker also said,
What I’m wondering is if the impending food court to be built in the location of the former movie theater (if you look at the mall’s site plan) will help or hurt this mall, since this is an out of the way location, plus it will open up several more holes in the main part of the mall.

My response:
If the food court opens… it would add eateries… and only move a couple. Currently the mall has:
Friendly’s which would stay where it is
Ruby Tuesday which would also stay where it is
Cinnabon which would probably not move
A local coffee shop which is close enough and would need it’s own space.
An Auntie Anne’s which is basically right there.
The pizza shop is right across the hall and would probably move… an arcade may reopen in that spot, since one would be needed.
Subway would move to the food court.
Arby’s would move would move to the food court.

Basically the food court would only make two locations move… McDonald’s, Burger King and an asian restaurant would probably return… and other new franchises would open.

XISMZERO said,
Just visited this mall today on my way back from Elmira. I didn’t know it was Oakdale Mall until I drove off the highway and noticed that unusual looking Bon Ton you just wrote about. Looked spiffy; but not really my cup of tea after visiting Arnot Mall, a much more interesting and unique lesser known mall of Southern N.Y. I did, however, dig that vintage Burlington Coat Factory entrance and suspected it once belonged to Bradlees.

My response:
I would agree that the Arnot Mall is interesting… but I don’t think is better… with the exception of the Food Court. I like eating at the Friendly’s overlooking the off kilter center court.

At Arnot, 106 spots are filled of their 135 store fronts/kiosks. Oakdale on the other hand has 100 of it’s current 112 store fronts/kiosks full. What I found interesting is that while many of the stores at Oakdale currently have taken over multiple smaller spots like Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister Taking over Limited, Limited Too and Caciques old spots… FYE took over 4 small store fronts… and GAP took over 3 themselves… and most recently, Against All Odds took over 2 spots. Arnot seems to be dividing locations up into smaller ones… like 11A, 11B, 11C.

Matt said,
I would swear from the pendant light in the sears court and the design of the columns in the center court that this was owned by Simon and renovated in the last several years….that fixture is identical to those at palm beach mall, Melbourne square and a few other Simon malls Ive seen on this site…further proof of the blandification of malls in this country.

My response:
While it is a blandification… it is by a lesser known company. Vornado out of New York City. They only have 16 enclosed malls… they also have 150 shopping centers and just over 50 shopping sites in Manhattan. The only complaint I have about Oakdale is the mall management. The managers *a husband & wife team* have been there forever and still run it the way it has always been. It doesn’t even have a customer service desk out on the floor. It is hidden away down a tiny hall way in the mall office. They would sell so many more gift cards and have better community relations if they put someone in a Customer Service Kiosk.