Demo Team Knocking Down Old Oakdale Mall Bon

May 26, 2024

The building that housed the Oakdale Mall's second department store is being demolished, nearly a half-century after it opened at the Johnson City shopping complex.

Gorick Construction workers are tearing down what first was the 80,000-square-foot Fowler's store, which started operations in October 1975.

The store eventually was rebranded as The Bon-Ton. It closed in August 2018 after a bankruptcy court judge approved the liquidation of its parent company. TK Storage later used some of the space.

The demolition project began on Monday as part of the ongoing transformation of the mall into the Oakdale Commons.

The demolition project began on Monday as part of the ongoing transformation of the mall into the Oakdale Commons.

Crews using heavy equipment on Tuesday ripped into the abandoned store. They worked as gusty winds blew snow around the east side of the site off Reynolds Road.

The Oakdale Mall redevelopment is a project of Spark JC. Partner Marc Newman said the removal of the former Bon-Ton building is the last major demolition work planned at the site.

Newman said the demolition and pad construction to prepare the site for a new tenant is expected to be completed by June 1. He said a "national tenant" plans to build a 99,000-square-foot structure in that section of the Oakdale Commons.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: [email protected] or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.