Hudson Valley Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedAn enclosed shopping mall in Ulster, near Kingston, New York.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hudson Valley Mall is an enclosed shopping center in the hamlet of Ulster, north of Kingston in Ulster County, New York. Opened in October 1981, it became the principal enclosed retail center serving the Kingston area and the only enclosed mall in Ulster County. It is also positioned between the larger retail markets of Poughkeepsie and Albany, making it historically important as a regional shopping destination despite its relatively localized customer base. The mall originally opened with several major anchors, including Kmart, JCPenney, Hess's, and a six-screen Hoyts cinema known as Cinema 6. Over time, the theater expanded to 12 screens and later operated under the Regal Cinemas banner before being replaced by Neighborhood Cinema Group. The property was expanded in 1989 with the addition of Sears, a new food court, and approximately 15 further stores. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the tenant mix changed substantially as department-store chains retrenched, relocated, or went bankrupt. Hess's was replaced by Filene's, which later became Macy's, while Kmart moved to a nearby Super Kmart site. A major renovation and leasing program in the early 2000s reshaped the mall. The former Kmart premises were divided between Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods, and Target opened next to those spaces in 2001. At its strongest point in the 2000s, the mall contained more than 80 stores and restaurants, including national apparel, electronics, sporting-goods, jewelry, optical, telecommunications, and food-service tenants. GameStop, which had previously operated as EB Games, was among the longer-lasting specialty retailers. The property entered a prolonged contraction during the 2010s and 2020s. JCPenney closed in 2015, Macy's in 2016, Sears in 2018, and Regal's cinema operation in 2018. NCG Cinema subsequently took over the theater, preserving first-run cinema service at the site. Old Navy departed in 2019, Best Buy closed in 2020, and a number of smaller stores left as consumer traffic and traditional enclosed-mall occupancy declined. The former Best Buy space was temporarily converted into a large Ulster County COVID-19 vaccination center in 2021. By the mid-2020s, Hudson Valley Mall had shifted from a conventional department-store-anchored mall toward a smaller mixed-use community property. Target remained the principal retail anchor, while NCG Cinema continued to provide entertainment use. Other occupants included health-care, fitness, martial-arts, parkour, personal-care, youth-organization, and athletics tenants. Nearby Hudson Valley Plaza and Ulster Crossings supplement the mall with big-box retail and other commercial uses. Hull Property Group owns and operates the property. The mall's declining occupancy, vacant former anchor spaces, and reported maintenance issues reflect the broader challenges facing older enclosed malls, although the site remains active and continues to serve local retail, service, medical, recreational, and community functions.
History
Hudson Valley Mall opened in October 1981 in Ulster, New York, north of Kingston. Its initial tenant roster reflected the standard format of a regional American enclosed mall: multiple department-store anchors, a discount retailer, specialty shops, restaurants, and a cinema. The original anchors were Kmart, JCPenney, Hess's, and Hoyts' six-screen Cinema 6. The theater later expanded to 12 screens and eventually operated under the Regal Cinemas name. The first major expansion came in 1989. Sears was added on the east side of the property after relocating from Kingston Plaza, and the mall gained a new food court and roughly 15 additional stores. During the 1990s, department-store consolidation began to affect the center. Hess's entered bankruptcy and closed in 1995; Filene's replaced it in 1996. Kmart moved to a nearby Super Kmart site along U.S. Route 9W, a location that later closed and was replaced by Kohl's. Pyramid Companies, then the mall's owner, renovated the interior and pursued a new leasing strategy in the early 2000s. The former Kmart premises were split between Best Buy, which opened in 2000, and Dick's Sporting Goods, which opened in 2001. Target also opened next to those spaces in 2001. The changes gave the mall a more contemporary mix of discount, electronics, sporting-goods, and general-merchandise retail. Filene's was converted to Macy's in September 2006 following the national rebranding of Filene's stores. The mall reached a high point in the mid-2000s, when it reportedly contained more than 80 stores and restaurants. Its lineup included national clothing chains, electronics, sporting goods, jewelry, optical services, wireless providers, and several food outlets. EB Games, later renamed GameStop after the 2005 acquisition, became one of the property's longer-serving specialty tenants. The center also experienced serious public-safety incidents during this period. In February 2005, a gunman fired 60 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle inside the mall, injuring two people but causing no fatalities. In June 2006, Ground Round night manager Sharon Inger was killed inside the restaurant after closing; investigators later identified Paul David Despres as the suspected perpetrator. These events became part of the mall's documented history but were not representative of its retail operations. The traditional anchor model weakened during the 2010s. JCPenney closed in April 2015, Macy's followed in April 2016, and Sears closed in April 2018. Regal Cinemas ended its operation in August 2018, although NCG Cinema later assumed the theater and continued operating it. Old Navy relocated away from the mall in January 2019, while Kingston Athletics entered the property later that year. Best Buy closed in October 2020. Its vacant unit was subsequently adapted for public use as Ulster County's principal COVID-19 vaccination site, which operated from 2021 until February 2023. Temporary and replacement uses filled some of the vacant big-box space. Spirit Halloween occupied former anchor space seasonally from 2020 through 2023 before leaving the property. Meanwhile, the mall retained Target and the cinema as its most significant continuing commercial uses. A range of smaller tenants increasingly consisted of services, recreation, medical care, personal care, and community organizations rather than national soft-goods retailers. In the mid-2020s, Dick's Sporting Goods began preparing to relocate from the mall to an adjacent Hudson Valley Plaza site. The move was expected to occur around 2026, with the mall store remaining in transition during the relocation period. Other departures included Jimmy Jazz, GameStop, the on-site United States Postal Service branch, and Hudson Valley Mall Dental. By 2026, the property had a substantially reduced tenant base, including Target, NCG Cinema, Northwell Health, Innate Movement Parkour, Kingston Athletics, Mauceri Muay Thai, Unisex Hair Palace, and the Boy Scouts of America Rip Van Winkle Council office. Hull Property Group owns and operates the mall. The property is part of a broader retail cluster. Hudson Valley Plaza, immediately adjacent to the mall, includes large-format retailers such as Walmart, PetSmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a Raymour & Flanigan outlet. Ulster Crossings, across U.S. Route 9W, includes Michaels, L.L.Bean, Five Below, and other stores. Together these developments provide a larger commercial ecosystem than the enclosed mall alone. Hudson Valley Mall therefore remains active, but its function has shifted from a full-scale regional department-store destination toward a reduced, locally oriented mixed-use and community-serving site.
- 2025
Several service and retail tenants depart
[1]Jimmy Jazz, GameStop, the USPS branch, and Hudson Valley Mall Dental leave or close, further reducing occupancy.
- 2023
Vaccination site closes
[1]The mall-based COVID-19 vaccination center closes in February.
- 2021
Vaccination center opens
[1]The former Best Buy space becomes a major Ulster County COVID-19 vaccination site.
- 2019
NCG Cinema begins operating the theater
[1]Neighborhood Cinema Group takes over the former Regal theater space.
- 2018
Sears and Regal depart
[1]Sears closes in April and Regal closes its 12-screen theater in August.
- 2015
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney closes its store as part of a companywide reduction of underperforming locations.
- 2006
Filene's becomes Macy's
[1]The Filene's store is rebranded as Macy's in September.
- 2005
Mall shooting
[1]A shooting inside the mall injures two people; no fatalities are reported.
- 2001
Target opens
[1]Target opens beside the redeveloped former Kmart space.
- 2000
Former Kmart space redeveloped
[1]The former Kmart premises are divided for Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods.
Products and positioning
A local and regional shopping center transitioning from a traditional enclosed department-store mall into a smaller mixed-use community and service destination.
Shopping center · 1981
Enclosed retail mall
The core offering is a one-level enclosed shopping environment providing retail stores, food service, personal services, community uses, and indoor circulation. At its peak, the mall supported more than 80 stores and restaurants; by the mid-2020s, its tenant base had contracted substantially.
Entertainment · 2019
NCG Cinema
A 12-screen cinema operating in the space originally opened as Hoyts Cinema 6 and later expanded and operated by Regal Cinemas. Neighborhood Cinema Group took over after Regal closed in 2018, retaining cinema as one of the mall's principal continuing attractions.
General merchandise · 2001
Target
Target opened next to the former Kmart premises in 2001 and became the mall's principal remaining retail anchor after the departures of JCPenney, Macy's, Sears, and Best Buy.
Services and community facilities
Community and service uses
As conventional retail occupancy declined, the property accommodated medical, fitness, martial-arts, parkour, personal-care, youth-organization, and other service tenants. This mix supports the mall's transition toward a locally oriented mixed-use community site.
Controversies
2006
Murder of Sharon Inger
Sharon Inger, the night manager of the mall's Ground Round restaurant, was found fatally stabbed after closing on June 4, 2006. Investigators connected the killing to Paul David Despres, a recently hired employee who was later reported dead after jumping from a vehicle while intoxicated.
2005
Hudson Valley Mall shooting
On February 13, 2005, a gunman entered the mall carrying a semiautomatic rifle and fired in the Best Buy store and central corridor. Two people were wounded, while employees and shoppers helped restrain the attacker after he exhausted his ammunition. The perpetrator later pleaded guilty and received a 32-year state-prison sentence.
Brand decisions
2025
Relocate Dick's Sporting Goods to Hudson Valley PlazaStrategyBackground
Dick's was preparing to leave its mall unit as the property continued to lose traditional large-format tenants.
Action taken
The company received town approval to move into a former Gander Mountain/Gander Outdoors location in the adjacent Hudson Valley Plaza.
Aftermath
The mall location entered a transition toward vacancy, while the larger adjacent store was planned for a 2026 opening.
2021
Convert vacant retail space into a vaccination centerOtherBackground
Best Buy had closed in 2020, leaving a large vacant commercial unit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Action taken
Ulster County adapted the space for mass COVID-19 vaccination operations.
Aftermath
The site served as the county's main vaccination center until closing in February 2023.
2018
Replace Regal cinema operationsStrategyBackground
Regal Cinemas closed its 12-screen theater in August after the mall had already lost several department-store anchors.
Action taken
Neighborhood Cinema Group later took over the theater space.
Aftermath
Cinema service continued, preserving an entertainment draw despite the loss of Regal's operation.
2000
Redevelop former Kmart premisesStrategyBackground
Kmart had relocated to a nearby Super Kmart site, leaving a large mall premises available for reuse.
Action taken
The former Kmart space was divided between Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods, followed by Target next door in 2001.
Aftermath
The repositioning added large-format specialty and general-merchandise tenants and refreshed the mall's anchor mix.
1989
Expand the mall and add SearsStrategyBackground
The growing regional center sought additional department-store and specialty-retail capacity.
Action taken
The property added Sears, a food court, and approximately 15 stores.
Aftermath
The expansion strengthened the mall's regional department-store format for the following years.
Sources2 sources
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