ShoppingTown Mall was a regional shopping mall in Dewitt, New York. First opened as an open-air shopping center in 1954, it was enclosed in 1973 and remained a major shopping center before being thrown out of business in March 2020 to make way for a new $400 million development, which will be named District East. Much of the existing mall will be demolished for a phased development that includes a substantial residential component, a movie theater complex, a “premium” grocer, specialty retail, and services like doctors and medical offices. The project will also include new sidewalks, bike paths, walking trails, and large park and green space that will serve as a spearhead to the recently enhanced Empire State Trail. History Open-Air Shopping Center Shoppingtown Mall began as an open-air shopping center, first announced in August 1953 and managed by Eagan Real Estate Inc. At this time, tenants including F. W. Woolworth, J. C. Penney, Walgreens, Grand Union, Acme Markets, Fanny Farmer, Endicott Johnson, and Kinney Shoes had already signed on to the project. Local Syracuse department store Addis' signed onto the project in February 1954, and later that month a four-day grand opening gala was announced, set to begin March 3. The center opened as planned on March 3 with most major tenants, with Addis opening later on October 8, 1954. Multiple new stores, including Flah & Co, W. T. Grant, and a Kallet Theater, began construction in 1955-1956. A Dey's Store For Homes was first announced in 1960, with plans for the home store to open by 1961, with a full store projected to open at a later date. The home store opened August 25, 1962, followed by the full store which opened on October 11, 1966. The center was affected by a fire in April 1967, which most affected Flah & Co, who remained closed for over a month to completely restock and remodel the store. A branch store of Syracuse department store E.W. Edwards & Sons opened in November 1968. A new 2-screen Kallet Theater opened December 28, 1968. Mall Conversion Shoppingtown began conversion into an "all-climate mall" in late 1973, with Edwards planned to be one of the anchors, though Edwards closed its doors amidst bankruptcy on November 7, 1973. The mall suffered a fire in June 1974, which fatally injured one firefighter and caused an estimated $500,000 in damages, primarily to W.T. Grant. The two-screen