Like many regional malls across the country, Eastern Hills Mall is facing tough times as customers are staying away and opting more to shop online. The change is being driven in large part by millennials who are looking for the cheapest prices and are comfortable using services like Amazon to buy the products they need.
The challenge for struggling malls is to find ways to get shoppers, especially younger shoppers, to return.
The owners of Eastern Hills Mall are now looking at the idea of transforming Eastern Hills Mall into a "Lifestyle Center" that combines retail, residential, office and greenspace areas into a town center. It is an idea that has proven to work at other struggling malls and it is getting strong support from the Town of Clarence.
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly takes a closer look at the idea in his reports.
The following is a statement issued by Eastern Hills Mall's owner on the proposed change:
"Our intent is to find a suitable Joint Venture Partner to assist in capitalizing and sharing in the leadership role in redeveloping this property as a mixed use / town center site.
We feel that’s the highest and best use for the property at this point in time as single level malls across the US are waning in functionality for many external reasons.
We remain very sanguine on the Buffalo MSA, the property, and the future of both.
We’re all very excited to be at this point where we will have the ability to turn a new page for the property.
Our long term vision is to create much more than a simple lifestyle center: A town center redevelopment combining many Real Estate uses including retail, residential, office, hotel, restaurants, entertainment, personal services, health services, educational etc.
It’s a huge undertaking and one we recognize we need the best help we can find to deliver a quality product suitable for the trade area."
Chuck Breidenbach
Mountain Development Corp.
