Kings Mall was originally developed in the late 1970s on the site of the old Kingston Drive-In. The center was initially anchored by a grocery store, drug store, and some other major retailers. Through the late 80s and mid 90s, it became apparent the grocery store anchor would leave, and the center would need to be repositioned in order to be a successful as a 21st century marketplace.

In the spring of 2001, Kings Mall was acquired by an investment group headed by Harold Bernstein of Palm Beach, Florida, and Ed Leinbach of Leinbach Company, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some members of the investment group who were active in retail, both nationally and in New York, believed the location of the Kings Mall property was “the eye of the golf ball” in Kingston. Because of their confidence in its location and the opportunity for a redevelopment, they enthusiastically embraced the concept and proceeded to locate new and different tenants.

As a precursor to finding new tenants, the group committed to a $1.5 million dollar renovation of the property. The major elements of the renovation were a new facade, a new roof, and a resurfaced and re-striped parking lot. Additionally, the signage was updated and replaced along with an updated parking plan which provided additional parking. As a last element, the interior hallway was completely refurbished.

When Weiss Market left the center in the fall of 2001, Homegoods, a TJX company, quickly agreed to occupy 28,661 square feet across the parking lot from their sister store, Marshalls. Given that boost, Modells Sporting Goods soon followed along with the UPS Store and others.

During the same general timeframe, Sav-On moved from their downtown location to the former J.D. Cohen Furniture space, and the Three Guys Discount Furniture moved to a vacant space providing room for the new Little Gym facility. Today, the property is 100 percent occupied; the tenants are pleased with the center, and their businesses are thriving on the increased customer base.

The owners remain committed to a long term investment in Kingston, and are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in the Kingston market.