Destiny USA facts for kids
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Destiny USA in 2013
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| Location | Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 43°04′15″N 76°10′13″W / 43.0709°N 76.1703°W |
| Address | 1 Destiny USA Dr, Syracuse, NY 13204 |
| Opening date | October 15, 1990 |
| Developer | The Pyramid Companies |
| Owner | The Pyramid Companies |
| No. of stores and services | 239 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 15 |
| Total retail floor area | 2,400,000 sq ft (220,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 6 (4 retail) |
| Parking | 5,500 |
Destiny USA (also known as Carousel Center) is a huge shopping, dining, and entertainment center. It has six floors and is located by Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York. It is the biggest mall in New York State and one of the largest in the entire country. Every year, over 26 million people visit Destiny USA, making it one of America's most popular shopping spots.
Destiny USA first opened on October 15, 1990, and was called Carousel Center. The mall has six floors above ground and one underground floor. The first three floors and the underground floor are full of shops. The first and second floors have many stores, restaurants, and fun places to visit. You can find the main food court and a famous carousel on the second floor.
The third floor has a big 19-screen Regal Cinemas movie theater. It also has more restaurants and entertainment options. The fourth floor is mainly for offices. The underground floor, called the Commons floor, has medium-sized stores, a chapel, and two underground parking garages. This floor is part of the original mall built in 1990.
Destiny USA has lots of parking spaces all around the mall. There are also extra parking lots across the street. A special bridge helps people walk from these lots to the mall's second floor. You can enter the mall from almost all sides. Some entrances are also inside the larger anchor stores or from the underground parking areas. To keep everyone safe, Destiny USA has increased its security and updated its visitor rules.
Contents
History of Destiny USA
How the Mall Was Built
The land where Destiny USA now stands used to be an old industrial area. It was once a landfill and had many oil tanks. In 1987, a company called The Pyramid Companies decided to build a large shopping center there. This plan caused some debate because other malls in the area worried about the competition.
Other mall developers were against the project. They thought a new mall would hurt businesses in downtown Syracuse. The Pyramid Companies faced some delays during construction. This was mainly because the site needed to be cleaned up. It was a "brownfield" site, meaning it had been used for industry and needed special care.
The mall finally opened on October 15, 1990. It was named Carousel Center after a beautiful 1908 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters carousel inside.
The Mall in the 1990s
When Carousel Center first opened, it had many popular stores. Some of the main stores included JCPenney and Hills Department Stores. There was also a special "Commons" area underground with more shops and covered parking.
A unique part of the mall was the Skydeck. This was an event space on the top floors of the central tower. It was used for parties, fashion shows, and concerts.
Over the years, some stores changed. In 1992, Chappell's became The Bon Ton. In 1994, a new space was built for Lord & Taylor. The Pyramid Companies also planned to expand the mall. In 1997, they announced plans to double the mall's size. They wanted to add about 150 new stores.
By the end of the 1990s, more stores opened. Best Buy and CompUSA arrived. In 1999, Hills became Ames Department Stores. Also, Bally Total Fitness opened with a big party.
Changes in the 2000s
In 2000, Bonwit Teller closed its store. The space was then taken by H&M, a popular clothing store.
In 2001, The Pyramid Companies announced an even bigger plan. They wanted to triple the mall's size and rename it "Destiny USA." This project aimed to make the mall a huge tourist spot. It would also have a large visitors center. However, this big plan needed a lot of public money and tax breaks. This caused some arguments.
In 2006, Kaufmann's department store became Macy's. In 2007, the first part of the Destiny USA expansion was proposed. This would add a lot of new space to Carousel Center. The goal was to make Destiny USA the largest mall in New York and one of the biggest in the country. They also planned for it to be a "green building," using renewable energy.
Expansion and New Name in the 2010s
In May 2011, the expansion project moved forward. Destiny USA was planned to have a mix of entertainment, luxury, and outlet stores. People in Syracuse shared their ideas for what they wanted to see. They suggested places like Dave & Buster's and restaurants like P.F. Chang's.
By November 2011, Destiny USA became the largest mall in New York. Parts of the new addition started to open. In August 2012, the mall officially changed its name to "Destiny USA."
Many new and exciting places opened in the mall. These included Burlington Coat Factory and Dick's Sporting Goods. Fun activities like WonderWorks, Dave and Buster's, and RPM Raceway Indoor Karting also opened. The Canyon Climb, the world's largest indoor rope course, became a big hit.
In June 2013, Regal Cinemas opened new IMAX and RPX movie screens. In 2015, Nordstrom Rack opened its doors. In 2016, At Home replaced Sports Authority. A large, seven-story Embassy Suites hotel also opened at Destiny USA in 2017. In 2019, a new LEGO store opened, which was very popular.
Destiny USA in the 2020s
The early 2020s brought some changes to stores. In 2020, JCPenney and Lord & Taylor closed their locations.
In 2021, a new Regal Cinemas 4DX theater was announced. An indoor trampoline park called Get Air was also planned. Many new stores have opened or are coming to Destiny USA. These include Anthropologie, Hugo Boss, Hobby Lobby, and Urban Outfitters.
In 2023, some stores like Banana Republic and Sephora closed. However, new ones like Newbury Comics and Dry Goods USA opened. In early 2024, it was announced that Forever 21 and Museum Of Intrigue would be closing.
See also
- Onondaga Creekwalk
- Onondaga Lake
- Inner Harbor, Syracuse
Images for kids
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Destiny USA in its Carousel Center form, before expansion
