Orange Plaza
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The Orange Plaza was a shopping mall located in Middletown, New York. On opposite sides of the mall were the two anchor stores, national retailers JC Penney and Sears. The third anchor store was a local retailer named "Sullivan's". Of the chief complaints about the mall from customers, low lighting levels and low air quality were at the top of the list. The low air quality was caused by asbestos inside the building. In 1993, the Orange Plaza was challenged by the opening of the brand new Galleria at Crystal Run a mile away. Orange Plaza's two national anchor stores moved to the Galleria, and numerous other stores followed suit. After a few years of revitalization attempts, the remaining tenants were evicted when the mall finally closed in early 1996.
[edit] Redevelopment
The Orange Plaza remained dormant until 2001 when it was finally demolished. In its place, a new Orange Plaza was built. Though not an enclosed shopping mall like its predecessor, its major stores included a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Kohl's, Staples, and Bed Bath and Beyond, plus a Kmart which was built prior to the demolition of the original Orange Plaza. The Kmart store closed in 2003 and the vacant building was partitioned and leased to different retailers, which include Burlington Coat Factory, Payless Shoes, and a Panera Bread cafe.