Facing Cuts, OFO Aims To Still Serve The Needy

Demolition First, Then New Outlet: T.J.Maxx Store Due, And Shoe Department Plans Big Expansion

Oneonta’s been Demolition City lately, what with the razing of the back end of Bresee’s, the former L.P. Butts hardware and, now, the former Kmart at Southside Mall.
But as with the first two, Southside Mall is taking one step back to take two steps – or more – forward.
A backhoe from Champagne Demolition Inc., Albany, has been cutting back the mall’s west end to align it with the rest of the 1982 footprint, said Mall Manager Jessica Dombrowski.
T.J.Maxx, the aggregator of national clothing brands, is on track to open in part of that space sometime this summer.
In the course of the conversation, though, Dombrowski mentioned that, despite the national economic malaise, Southside Mall is 97 percent occupied.
Then she let on that, while Fashion Bug is closing, The Shoe Department plans to cross the aisle from its smallish store into that space, plus expand into the Music Square on one side and Etc., Etc. on the other.
The result will be an Encore Store, a Shoe Department outlet that offers a greater variety of brand-name shoes than one of its regular stores.
Back to T.J.Maxx, based in Framingham, Mass.  (Shoe Department is in Concord.)
“We pursued them,” said Dombrowski, “because we really felt the quality brand names they have would be beneficial to Oneonta.”
T.J.Maxx, in turn, was attracted by the tourism and the colleges here, and its studies also determined an outlet here was far enough away not to compete with its Albany and Binghamton stores.
“They really felt they would have new customers here,” said the 5-year manager, a native of Syracuse who lived locally with her husband and two children.
The mall owners, Fameco Management Services, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., is doing the demolition, removing 17,000 square feet, and rebuilding a shell to T.J.Maxx’s specifications.
T.J.Maxx will then takeover, renovating the interior to its needs.  Another unit will also be available in the former Kmart space.  Southside has some nibbles, but nothing to announce yet.
The demolition will also allow more parking at the mall’s west end, and the entrance from Route 23 is being redone to enhance flow onto and off the property.

HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Brett – just Brett – maneuvers the Champagne Demolition Inc. backhoe, cutting back the former Kmart to align it with front of the rest of Southside Mall.  TJ Maxx will be moving in this summer.