The Van Cott Jewelers store at the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City is preparing to close its doors.

The decision to shut down the iconic jewelry shop represents the latest blow to the region's biggest shopping complex.

Van Cott opened its Oakdale Mall store in October 1975. It was the retailer's first branch location. Up until that time, Van Cott's sole location was on Court Street in downtown Binghamton.

The retailer closed the Binghamton location when it opened a store in the Town Square Mall on the Vestal Parkway.

In recent years, the Oakdale Mall has lost major anchor stores including Sears, Macy's and the Bon-Ton. Several other small and mid-size retailers also have shut down outlets at the Johnson City site.

Representatives of the Oakdale Mall owners have not been available to discuss what is being planned for the future of the property.

On Friday, Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger shot down rumors that the school might be interested in the mall property.

In an interview on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Stenger said there had been no discussions about the mall site with its owners.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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