Dutchess Mall - History

History

Dutchess Mall opened in 1974 as the first mall in Dutchess County. The mall occupied a portion of a site once occupied by the Fishkill Encampment and Supply Depot, which has been listed on the National Register of Historical Places since Dutchess Mall's opening. The Fishkill Encampment was previously slated for conversion to a national park, but the plan was rejected. Original anchors of the mall included J. W. Mays Company and Luckey Platt, two local department stores; other major tenants included Flah's (another local department store) and Drug World (a pharmacy), as well as Radio Shack and Waldenbooks.

J. W. Mays closed in the 1980s and was replaced with Gaynes. Gaynes, in turn, was converted to discounter Jamesway, which closed in 1994. Luckey Platt closed in the 1980s and was replaced with Service Merchandise, which closed on December 24, 1996. The former Service Merchandise was soon replaced with the Dutchess Flea Market. With both anchor stores gone, the already declining mall began its collapse, and by 2001 only the flea market remained.

For many years, Dutchess Mall was the only mall serving its area; however, it was often unable to attract many big-name tenants, due to rumors of a larger mall opening nearby. The rumored mall, which would have been anchored by Macy's, never came to fruition. Because it could not attract stores easily, and because the anchor stores had changed, the Dutchess Mall was quick to lose tenants, eventually replacing a large portion of retail space with a satellite campus of Marist College. Other problems plaguing the mall included an outdated mall design; competition from the nearby Poughkeepsie Galleria and South Hills Mall; and the advent of big box retail.