Rainbow Centre Factory Outlet is an abandoned enclosed

outlet mall An outlet store, factory outlet or factory store is a brick and mortar or online store where manufacturers sell their merchandise directly to the public. Products at outlet stores are usually sold at reduced prices compared to regular stores du ...

in downtown

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagar ...

, that operated from July 2, 1982 to September 30, 2000. Its design was unusual in that it was contained within its own parking ramp, and opened directly into the now-demolished Wintergarden indoor

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

on its southern end. It was built, owned, and managed by the

Cordish Company The Cordish Companies (previously The Cordish Company) is a U.S.-based real estate development and entertainment operating company with its headquarters on the 6th floor of the Pratt Street Power Plant in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded ...

until October 2010, when CEO David Cordish personally donated the abandoned mall to

SUNY Niagara SUNY Niagara (formerly Niagara County Community College, or NCCC) is a public community college in Sanborn, New York. Founded in 1962, SUNY Niagara is sponsored by Niagara County and offers associate degrees as part of the State University of Ne ...

for use as a culinary institute, student-run restaurant, and a

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...

bookstore. The Institute and bookstore opened in 2012.

History

The mall opened on July 2, 1982, as part of a failed

urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

project. Initially, the mall was successful, but it did not turn a profit until 1990, when the original anchor, Beir's Department Store, was replaced with a

Burlington Coat Factory Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, is an American national off-price department store retailer, and a division of Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation with more than 1,100 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, with it ...

and the majority of the mall tenants were replaced with

outlet store An outlet store, factory outlet or factory store is a brick and mortar or online shopping, online store where manufacturers sell their merchandise directly to the public. Products at outlet stores are usually sold at reduced prices compared to re ...

s. The mall was a popular destination during downtown Niagara Falls' Festival of Lights throughout the 1980s and 1990s. However, by the late 1990s, the mall lost its designation as the most successful in Niagara Falls as the

Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls is an outlet mall serving Niagara Falls, New York. History On July 19, 1982, the outlet mall opened in a former King's discount store. An extensive 1995 expansion added 50 stores, including a Saks Fifth Avenu ...

renovated and became the more popular choice. The Rainbow Centre had received no updating since its opening, and simply could not compete with the Fashion Outlets. Burlington Coat Factory closed in 1999, and the entire mall closed in 2000, with all remaining tenants required to evacuate by September of that year. Shortly after closing, the Cordish Co. claimed the mall would be redeveloped into an entertainment complex, but these plans never came to fruition. Despite the closure of all the retail stores in 2000, the mall still remained open to foot traffic for a few years afterward due to the mall's

off-track betting Off-track betting (or OTB; in British English, off-course betting) is sanctioned gambling on greyhound racing or horse racing outside a race track. U.S. history Before the 1970s, only the state of Nevada allowed off-track betting. Off-track bet ...

parlor remaining successful. Once the center closed in 2005, the mall was officially closed off to all foot traffic and fell into disrepair. The interior of the mall was gutted in 2011 and the SUNY Niagara Culinary Institute and Barnes & Noble opened in the southern third of the building on August 31, 2012. The other two-thirds of the structure were turned over to the city of Niagara Falls for future redevelopment. As of 2015, a resort named "Wonderfalls" is planned for the remaining space but development is not yet underway.

References

{{Buffalo, New York 2000 disestablishments in New York (state) Defunct shopping malls in the United States Outlet malls in the United States Shopping malls in New York (state) Shopping malls established in 1982 Shopping malls disestablished in 2000 Buildings and structures in Niagara County, New York The Cordish Companies American companies disestablished in 2000 American companies established in 1982