Latham Circle JCPenney to Close Doors in January 2014

A fixture of Latham Circle and one of the last two tenants of the Latham Circle Mall, JCPenney, will be closing its doors forever on or about January 4, 2014.

The store opened as part of the original Latham Corners Shopping Center in the 1950s.

This is part of the plans to build a new shopping center in place of the mall. A main portion of the former mall was torn down early this year. Lowe's will be the only tenant left from the original mall once JCPenney is gone.

Employees of the store will have the option to move to other stores. Those who wish not to remain with the company will receive "separation benefits."

JC Penney store spokesman Joey Thomas spoke with Times Union on the matter:

The JCPenney location at Latham Circle Mall will close on or about January 4, 2014.

We continually evaluate our store portfolio to determine whether there's a need to close or relocate underperforming locations. Reviews such as these are essential in meeting our long-term goals for future company growth. While it's never an easy decision to close a store, especially due to the impact on our valued associates and customers, we feel this is a necessary business decision