MID-ISLAND SHOPPING PLAZA
North Broadway and Mid-Island BoulevardNassau County (Town of Oyster Bay), New York
Long Island's third shopping mall was designed by Lathrop Douglass and developed by a joint venture of Allied Stores and the New York City-based Stackler & Frank Company. It occupied a 68-acre parcel, situated 27.3 miles east of Times Square, in Nassau County's Town of Oyster Bay-Hicksville hamlet. The mall site had, at one time, contained Saint John's Protectory, a boys' orphanage, and a church-run vegetable and dairy farm.
MID-ISLAND SHOPPING PLAZA was comprised of a main retail level and basement. The 40 million dollar, open-air mall housed approximately 800,000 leasable square feet. It was anchored by the 6-level (325,000 square foot), Queens-based Gertz Long Island. This department store opened for business on October 12, 1956, along with an initial eleven stores and services. Among these was a 2-level (90,000 square foot) J.J. Newberry, which was the largest variety store in Greater New York City. Singer Vaughn Monroe was the Master of Ceremonies.
A mall-wide grand opening was held on October 25, 1956, with music provided by Mimi Benzell, opera soprano, and an orchestra conducted by Bob Rich. In attendance were Walter G. Stackler and Leonard L. Frank (mall developers) and Lewis N. Waters (Oyster Bay Town Supervisor). The highlight of the celebration was an "atomic lighting spectacle." This used the nuclear energy radiated by a Long Island-grown potato as a catalyst for an 8 million-watt illumination of the mall.
By December 1956, MID-ISLAND SHOPPING PLAZA housed forty-one stores and services. Among these were Bond Clothes, Oppenheim-Collins, National Shoes, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Lodge Coffee Shop, Famous Fashion Shop, a Horn & Hardart Retail Store and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. There were two supermarkets; a (25,300 square foot) Food Fair and (48,000 square foot) First National Store.
The first addition to the shopping center was built as a freestanding structure at the north end. The Town & Country Theatres Twin Theatre North & South showed its first features on May 27, 1964. It was one of America's first shopping mall multiplex venues.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced in mid-1975. S. Klein was rebannered by New York City-based E.J. Korvette (a.k.a. Korvettes). This store was shuttered on December 24, 1980. In February 1983, Gertz morphed into another Allied Stores division, Paramus, New Jersey-based Stern's. This store was "Macy-ated" in May 2001.
Meanwhile, an interior face lift commenced in January 1977. This 8 million dollar "Islands of the World" project divided the two shopping concourses into ten sections, each saluting a particular "island" culture. By August 1978, Japan, Nantucket and Fantasy sections had been created. All ten were complete by late 1979. A new mall moniker, MID-ISLAND FASHION PLAZA, had been publicized but was never implemented. PLAZA AT MID-ISLAND was -apparently- a better fit, because a new logo was commissioned.
The cinema, which had been reconfigured as a 6-plex, was demolished in early 1990. It was replaced by a 2-level (200,000 square foot) Ikea, which opened for business on March 13, 1991. A multilevel parking garage -adjacent to the new Ikea- was also built. Ikea was expanded, to 235,000 square feet, in 2003.
By December 1956, MID-ISLAND SHOPPING PLAZA housed forty-one stores and services. Among these were Bond Clothes, Oppenheim-Collins, National Shoes, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Lodge Coffee Shop, Famous Fashion Shop, a Horn & Hardart Retail Store and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. There were two supermarkets; a (25,300 square foot) Food Fair and (48,000 square foot) First National Store.
Beneath the mall was a truck tunnel that was nearly a mile long. In September 1957, it was designated as a Civil Defense operational headquarters. This facility could have provided emergency accommodations for over 9,000 people.
The first addition to the shopping center was built as a freestanding structure at the north end. The Town & Country Theatres Twin Theatre North & South showed its first features on May 27, 1964. It was one of America's first shopping mall multiplex venues.
A second north-end expansion added a 3-level (230,000 square foot), New York City-based S. Klein department store. Dedicated on October 8, 1969, it was built as part of a renovation that enclosed the mall. During this remodeling project, the north-south concourse -or Suffolk Mall- was extended so that it connected the original structure and new S. Klein. By this time, the official name of the shopping center had been shortened to simply MID-ISLAND PLAZA.
There were several major shopping hubs in the vicinity. These included ROOSEVELT FIELD CENTER (1956) {4.6 miles southwest, in Nassau County}, WALT WHITMAN CENTER (1962) {6.9 miles northeast, in Suffolk County} and SUNRISE MALL (1973-2022) {7.8 miles southeast, also in Nassau County}.
There were several major shopping hubs in the vicinity. These included ROOSEVELT FIELD CENTER (1956) {4.6 miles southwest, in Nassau County}, WALT WHITMAN CENTER (1962) {6.9 miles northeast, in Suffolk County} and SUNRISE MALL (1973-2022) {7.8 miles southeast, also in Nassau County}.
Over the years, the two supermarkets at MID-ISLAND PLAZA operated under several different nameplates. The First National Store morphed into a Shop Rite and became a Pathmark in 1968. It closed for good in late 1978. Food Fair was rebranded as a Pantry Pride in 1972 and Hills in 1977. This store was shuttered in early 1979.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced in mid-1975. S. Klein was rebannered by New York City-based E.J. Korvette (a.k.a. Korvettes). This store was shuttered on December 24, 1980. In February 1983, Gertz morphed into another Allied Stores division, Paramus, New Jersey-based Stern's. This store was "Macy-ated" in May 2001.
Meanwhile, an interior face lift commenced in January 1977. This 8 million dollar "Islands of the World" project divided the two shopping concourses into ten sections, each saluting a particular "island" culture. By August 1978, Japan, Nantucket and Fantasy sections had been created. All ten were complete by late 1979. A new mall moniker, MID-ISLAND FASHION PLAZA, had been publicized but was never implemented. PLAZA AT MID-ISLAND was -apparently- a better fit, because a new logo was commissioned.
Within a few years, many of the original store leases were expiring. Taking advantage of this, an 80 million dollar refurbishment was done between 1983 and 1984. Vacated areas were gutted and reconfigured, with smaller store spaces created. Long Island's Delco Development Corporation acquired the shopping hub in 1985.
An additional remodeling was proposed, which would have added 500,000 square feet of retail space. A new name, DELCO PLAZA AT MID-ISLAND, was to be instituted as part of this project. This never happened. A scaled-down refurbishment, designed by the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) and R.A.I. Associates firms, did commence in November 1987.
During this 190 million dollar project, exterior walls were resurfaced with glazed masonry. Interior spaces were improved with neon lighting, skylights, landscaping, flooring and refurbished storefronts. New roofing and HVAC equipment were installed and new stores signed. These included Benetton, Limited Express, Victoria's Secret and Lane Bryant. The mall, which had contained 110 stores before the renovation, now housed 180. As a final measure, the name of the shopping hub was changed to BROADWAY MALL.
The cinema, which had been reconfigured as a 6-plex, was demolished in early 1990. It was replaced by a 2-level (200,000 square foot) Ikea, which opened for business on March 13, 1991. A multilevel parking garage -adjacent to the new Ikea- was also built. Ikea was expanded, to 235,000 square feet, in 2003.
Plans for a new BROADWAY MALL multiplex had been contested by nearby residents for several years. Approval was finally granted in 1994. The Korvettes building, which had stood vacant for nearly 14 years, was gutted and rebuilt. The National Amusement Company Broadway Multiplex Cinemas, and an an adjacent 8-bay food court, opened for business in April 1995.
4 years later, two supermarket structures on the west end of the mall were demolished. A 1-level (100,000 square foot) J.C. Penney was built. This store opened in October 1999, but closed in November 2002. The building was gutted and expanded, with a 1-level (140,500 square foot) Target Greatland dedicated on October 10, 2004.
In late 2005, the 1,153,300 square foot shopping center was acquired by New Jersey's Vornado Realty Trust. Vornado sold the property in February 2014, with the buyer being a joint venture of New York City's KKR (Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts Company), Atlanta's Cushman & Wakefield and El Segundo, California's Pacific Retail Capital Partners.
A face lift renovation commenced in August 2015. New flooring, seating and landscaping were installed, common area was refurbished and exterior entrances rebuilt. New tenants, such as Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness and Chick-Fil-A, joined the directory. The revitalized mall, which now housed eighty-six tenant spaces, was re-dedicated on January 15, 2016. Its name was changed to BROADWAY COMMONS in January 2017.
In late 2005, the 1,153,300 square foot shopping center was acquired by New Jersey's Vornado Realty Trust. Vornado sold the property in February 2014, with the buyer being a joint venture of New York City's KKR (Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts Company), Atlanta's Cushman & Wakefield and El Segundo, California's Pacific Retail Capital Partners.
A face lift renovation commenced in August 2015. New flooring, seating and landscaping were installed, common area was refurbished and exterior entrances rebuilt. New tenants, such as Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness and Chick-Fil-A, joined the directory. The revitalized mall, which now housed eighty-six tenant spaces, was re-dedicated on January 15, 2016. Its name was changed to BROADWAY COMMONS in January 2017.
In July of the same year, a 2-level (49,200 square foot) Round 1 Bowling & Amusement Center opened in space previously housing Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Sam Goody music. Macy's shuttered their BROADWAY COMMONS location on March 22, 2020. The store had been in operation for over 63 years.
Sources:
The New York Times
The New York Daily News
Sources:
The New York Times
The New York Daily News
The Bethpage Tribune (Bethpage, New York)
The Mid-Island Herald (Hicksville, New York)
The Hicksville Illustrated News (Hicksville, New York)
Nassau County, New York tax assessor website
http://www.labelscar.com
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.vno.com / Vornado Realty Trust
http://cliftonrm.com / Clifton Realty Management
Nassau County, New York tax assessor website
http://www.labelscar.com
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.vno.com / Vornado Realty Trust
http://cliftonrm.com / Clifton Realty Management
http://www.broadwaymallonline.com
http://atbroadwaycommons.com
"Broadway Mall" article on Wikipedia
http://atbroadwaycommons.com
"Broadway Mall" article on Wikipedia
BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS:
From the Gottscho-Schleisner Collection / Repository: United States Library Of Congress Prints and Photograph Division, Washington, D.C. / Taken by Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. / Samuel Herman, July 1957 / Lathrop Douglass- Client / Photographs are in the public domain: no known restrictions on publication / www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
