Via Port Rotterdam, Former Rotterdam Square Mall Is Losing Another Store...

Via Port Rotterdam is the former
Rotterdam Square Mall.












Rotterdam Square Mall, located in southeast Schenectady County, opened in 1988, Around 2000 the thriving, active mall started loosing shoppers. The original owners, Wilmorite Properties, was bought out by Macerich Company in 2005.

Kohan Retail Investing Group bought the mall in 2014. The mall continued to flounder as Macy's closed its doors.  Because of six figure delinquent utility bills, National Grid prepared to shut off power at Rotterdam Square Mall on Black Friday, November 21,2014.  Intervention by Rotterdam town officials kept the lights on during this busy holiday shopping weekend.

Via Properties bought Rotterdam Square Mall in 2015.  The new owners are investing a lot of money in this 900,000 square foot property.

The new owners are making changes and improvements as stores leave their newly acquired mall.  Sears announced its liquidation sale last month and now, Things Remembered is closing.

The new owners had The

Fun Zone entertainment

 area built.

The 25,000 square foot aquarium is under construction.  It's expected to open in June 2016.





Stores large & small have
were leaving Rotterdam
Square Mall for about
a decade.

This picture was taken at 9:40 am on April 27, 2015.

There's a lot of empty wall space at Via Port Rotterdam.  Photos of historic Schenectady cover the walls enclosing empty stores.

Racing sulkies on the frozen

over Erie Canal in the early

1900s.

The start of a foot race
at Union College.

Many of these empty store fronts now have 

colorful posters.

The Movie Theaters have

weathered hard times at

this mall.

Schenectady City Schools
are displaying student
artwork.

I like the variety of

art techniques on

display.

More photos cover walls where stores once operated.

A photo of a televised
billiards exhibition.

The Schenectady Blue Jays

minor league baseball team

played from 1946 - 1957.

Shoe Dept. Encore

is a bright spot in

the mall.

An empty store front with

 a General Electric display.

The history of General Electric
in Schenectady started with
Thomas Edison.

Sears started its liquidation

on May 19, 2016. 

So, what's going on here?  Since Via Port Properties bought this mall in 2015, stores continue to close.  And now another anchor store and a small retailer are leaving.

This is my guess:  Via Properties has deep pockets and is planning to provide stores and venues that interest the expected visitors to the Rivers Casino and Resort that is being built about four miles away on the Schenectady riverfront.