Freedom Plaza, Rome NY

Hey there. This is my first blog! Today, we are gonna talk about the Freedom Plaza in Rome, NY.

Early Era of the Plaza (around the early 70s-1995)

I do not know much of the early history, but lets start off with what I know about the area.

From Retro Rome, Daily Sentinel Photo.

This is the earliest photograph I have found of the building, showing off that there is a Boston Store and a Grand Way with a supermarket attachment. If you can see at the bottom corner, the date says it is from 1974.

Eventually, the Boston Store would close in the late 70s, and was replaced with JCPenney likely in 1980. Grand Way eventually closed at this time as well, but the store would eventually become Zayre, with the supermarket (possibly) being abandoned for a short bit until it was taken over by P&C.

I couldn't find any pictures when it was Zayre, but I did find a video from when it was Ames.

This year of the plaza (1995)

From Ray Bloss on YouTube. Full video here. Shows Freedom Plaza on July 5, 1995.

In the video, it shows various stores, including tenants like:

A Local Video Store, i forgot the name.

A Local Store, known as 9.99 Stock Room.

A Store called Caspers, i don't know what they would sell here.

A Local Jewelry Store, named K&S Jewelers.

A Ben Franklin, an Arts and Crafts store.

And an Eckerd (former Local Drug Store, known as Carl's) (not pictured).

Every tenant, except Eckerd, closed in the late 90s and was demolished for 3 other stores.

Anchors included:

JCPenney (likely opened around 1980, still used the same store front that was used by Boston Store, even 15 years after closure.)

Ames (Was a Zayre sometime in the Late 70s-80s, i am guessing Ames moved in after they acquired Zayre and converted all stores to Ames or closed in 1990.)

and P&C (Likely opened in the 80s.)

There was also one outparcel, being Ponderosa Steakhouse.

Late Gen Y and Gen Z era of the plaza (1995-2012)

Just only a year after this recording was made, Ames would close in 1996, 6 years before Ames went out of business completely in 2002.

I am not sure when P&C closed.

In the late 90s, all tenants, except Eckerd, closed and we're all likely demolished for Staples, Dollar Tree, and Domino's.

Around 2001-2002, the block where the former Ames sat would be demolished for the upcoming Tops Friendly Markets, which would later open around Late 2002-Early 2003.

Ponderosa Steakhouse closed around 2003, and would later be demolished for KFC around 2006.

Around the Mid-2000s, JCPenney later got a new exterior design.

In 2005-2006, KFC opened, and the P&C block of the plaza was demolished for upcoming Rue 21 and Marshalls, which would both open in 2006.

In 2006, Tops became P&C.

In 2007, Eckerd became Rite Aid, but due to there being another Rite Aid that just relocated near Freedom Plaza from the Westgate Plaza in 2006, this store would eventually close a year or two later.

In 2010, P&C converted back to Tops.

Gen Alpha era and beyond (2013-Present)

from Sunshine Photos on Flickr, taken Mid-2014.

In Mid-2014, Staples closed.

In 2016, Domino's changed their logo on their building.

In Late 2017-2018, Staples was divided into 3 (later 4) different businesses. On the left side, T-Mobile, and Shoe Dept., In the middle, Rue21, which relocated to the west side of the plaza, and on the right, Pet Supplies Plus. You can still see the red paint from Staples as of 2025.

In 2020, Spectrum Store relocated to this plaza from their stand-a-lone location near the Westgate Plaza, and opened a new store here. Also, JCPenney closed this location along with 200+ others in 2020, and a Dialysis opened in half of the former Eckerd, giving it use after 10+ years of vacancy.

In 2021, Tops converted to Grand Union.

In 2022, there was an announcement that was made that a Hobby Lobby was moving in to the former JCPenney.

In 2023, Construction started on the exterior of the former JCPenney.

Hobby Lobby officially opened on May 17, 2024, and held their grand opening May 20.

On July 16, 2024 however, a tornado came through Rome, and slightly destroyed some of the plaza. Everything went back to normal later that year.

Also in 2024, Rue 21 closed, and a new outparcel was added, being Seven Brew, a drive-in Coffee Shop. KFC was also remodeled.

As of 2025, the current stores in the plaza are T-Mobile, Shoe Dept., Pet Supplies Plus, Dollar Tree, Domino's, A Dialysis center, Hobby Lobby, Grand Union, Spectrum, Marshall's, KFC, and Seven Brew.