When I first started at WYRK, I worked evenings and would grab dinner at Gino and Joe's inside of the Main Place Mall in downtown Buffalo. Our station studios are in The Rand Building which overlooks Main Street and The Main Place Mall.At one time, The Main Place Mall was a thriving shopping destination. I remember seeing stores like KB Toys and Radio Shack when we took our family adventures on Sundays to Buffalo in the late 1980s.

What happened to the plans? Why is The Main Place Mall a ghost town these days? There are a few reasons that people have brought up. One that makes sense and stands out as the most popular is that the Metro Rail put an end to parking and regular vehicle traffic out front on Main Street.

There were plans at one point to make the entire are around the mall a a covered shopping area that would have expanded up and down the Main Place corridor. However, years of neglect and the addition of The Walden Galleria combined with business leaving for the suburbs put a heavy strain on The Main Place Mall.

Perhaps the renovations and plans for Canalside and the surrounding areas will have a positive impact and a future shopping center in the heart of downtown can be a reality and a success.

Here is video I found that sums up the before and after of The Main Place Mall.

 

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