Penn-Can Mall/Drivers Village - Cicero, NY - Auto dealership mall

Drivers Village, located in Cicero, New York, is a unique "auto mall'' with car dealerships and accessories stores. It's replaced what used to be Penn-Can Mall, a retail shopping mall that went into decline in the 1990's but has been given a new lease of life thanks to the new and unique angle.

The original Penn-Can mall was built in 1976 to rave reviews, being not only the first enclosed mall in Syracuse but also the fourth mall to be built in the entire metropolitan area. It quickly became popular and enjoyed periods of rapid expansion, being home to 121 stores at its peak in the late 1980s.

However, it soon suffered from competition from several surrounding shopping malls, and many of the stores within Penn-Can Mall closed and relocated to the newer shopping centers. By 1999, the mall had become completely disused.

But, the mall was purchased by a local auto dealer in 2000 and was quickly turned into Drivers Village. The entire mall was gutted and many of the wings were demolished to leave the mall we see today, and it's now home to several car showrooms and service centers for 24 makes of car.

Today, Drivers Village has showrooms and service centers that cater to the following makes: Audi, BMW, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Hummer, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Scion, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen. There's also a used car and truck warehouse to give car lovers even more choice.

As well as car showrooms and service centers there are also several other outlets available at the mall. There are finance centers to help people looking to buy their dream car, a driving school and car rental points, as well as insurance services, a law firm, shoe and leather repair center, coffee shops and even a floral and gifts center.

Drivers Village is also home to Aspen Athletics Club, a health and fitness center with all the latest cardio equipment as well as free weights, exercise classes, personal training services and even tanning beds. Then there's the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, a facility that serves as a tribute to great sportspeople of the area.

Drivers Village is a Mecca for all car lovers, and it's given an ailing shopping mall a new lease of life. It's a particularly unique mall but nonetheless offers something for all car lovers no matter what they're looking for, and with dealerships and service centers as well as other facilities, it's got every aspect of car ownership and car shopping covered.