The new Main Entrance at STATEN ISLAND MALL.
Photo from Wikipedia / "J Dahlia"
Photo from Brookfield Properties
STATEN ISLAND MALL
Richmond and Platinum Avenues
New York, New York (Richmond-Staten Island Borough)
Ground was broken for New York City's second suburban-style shopping mall on October 30, 1970. The 2-level retail hub, developed by the Newark-based Feist & Feist Realty Corporation, was designed by Los Angeles' Welton Becket & Associates. The facility, which encompassed 840,000 leasable square feet, was built on land originally serving as the Staten Island Airfield.
The STATEN ISLAND MALL site encompassed 105 acres, located 25 miles southwest of Times Square. It was in a section of the Borough of Richmond known as New Springville (the Borough of Richmond would morph into the Borough of Staten Island in 1975).
A 3-level (239,500 square foot) Macy's opened -as the mall's first operational tenant- on October 5, 1972. This was the chain's seventh location within New York City proper. A 2-level (190,500 square foot) Sears debuted on March 8, 1973. A mall-wide dedication was held on August 9th. Participating in the festivities were John J. Marchi (New York State Senator) and Robert T. Conner (Borough President).
Charter mall tenants included Waldenbooks, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Lerner Shops, Karmelkorn, Fifth Avenue Cards, Thom McAn Shoes, Parnassus Boutique, Animals & Things pets, Ann's Nut House, A Touch of Elegance Gifts, Goff Jewelers, Spencer Gifts, Bun 'n Burger and a Roaman's junior department store.
Richmond and Platinum Avenues
New York, New York (Richmond-Staten Island Borough)
Ground was broken for New York City's second suburban-style shopping mall on October 30, 1970. The 2-level retail hub, developed by the Newark-based Feist & Feist Realty Corporation, was designed by Los Angeles' Welton Becket & Associates. The facility, which encompassed 840,000 leasable square feet, was built on land originally serving as the Staten Island Airfield.
The STATEN ISLAND MALL site encompassed 105 acres, located 25 miles southwest of Times Square. It was in a section of the Borough of Richmond known as New Springville (the Borough of Richmond would morph into the Borough of Staten Island in 1975).
A 3-level (239,500 square foot) Macy's opened -as the mall's first operational tenant- on October 5, 1972. This was the chain's seventh location within New York City proper. A 2-level (190,500 square foot) Sears debuted on March 8, 1973. A mall-wide dedication was held on August 9th. Participating in the festivities were John J. Marchi (New York State Senator) and Robert T. Conner (Borough President).
Charter mall tenants included Waldenbooks, Flagg Brothers Shoes, Lerner Shops, Karmelkorn, Fifth Avenue Cards, Thom McAn Shoes, Parnassus Boutique, Animals & Things pets, Ann's Nut House, A Touch of Elegance Gifts, Goff Jewelers, Spencer Gifts, Bun 'n Burger and a Roaman's junior department store.
The Honeycomb, a 22-unit mall-within-a-mall, was situated on a sub-level beneath Center Court. It was in operation between April 1974 and the early 1980s. A 313,000 square foot Convenience Center was built in the mall's southeastern periphery. This store strip was also completed in 1974.
Maryland's Rouse Company established an ownership interest in the mall in November 1980. In 1981 and 1982, they performed an interior face lift. Envisaged by the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) firm, the renovation included the installation of the 13-bay PicNic Food Court. The mall's Center Court was also refurbished with new escalators, landscaping, a "Dancing Waters" fountain and skylight.
A 50 million dollar expansion got underway in July 1992. The project, designed by Boston's D'Agostino, Izzo & Quirk firm, was conducted in two phases. The first consisted of a renovation of the existing mall. Fountains were removed and replaced with seating areas. Entrances were also rebuilt. Phase II was comprised of a 310,000 square foot addition, which was built on the east side of the center. Among fifty new tenants were Athletic Express, B. Dalton Bookseller, Carlton Cards, Frederick's of Hollywood, Limor Jewelers, Musicland, Victoria's Secret and a Warner Brothers Studio Store.
The new East Wing was officially dedicated on November 5, 1993. Its anchor, a 2-level (180,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, opened on March 2, 1994. STATEN ISLAND MALL now encompassed around 1,150,000 leasable square feet and housed 185 retailers and restaurants. It surpassed Brooklyn's KINGS PLAZA as the largest suburban-style shopping mall within the physical limits of New York City.
Maryland's Rouse Company established an ownership interest in the mall in November 1980. In 1981 and 1982, they performed an interior face lift. Envisaged by the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK) firm, the renovation included the installation of the 13-bay PicNic Food Court. The mall's Center Court was also refurbished with new escalators, landscaping, a "Dancing Waters" fountain and skylight.
A 50 million dollar expansion got underway in July 1992. The project, designed by Boston's D'Agostino, Izzo & Quirk firm, was conducted in two phases. The first consisted of a renovation of the existing mall. Fountains were removed and replaced with seating areas. Entrances were also rebuilt. Phase II was comprised of a 310,000 square foot addition, which was built on the east side of the center. Among fifty new tenants were Athletic Express, B. Dalton Bookseller, Carlton Cards, Frederick's of Hollywood, Limor Jewelers, Musicland, Victoria's Secret and a Warner Brothers Studio Store.
The new East Wing was officially dedicated on November 5, 1993. Its anchor, a 2-level (180,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, opened on March 2, 1994. STATEN ISLAND MALL now encompassed around 1,150,000 leasable square feet and housed 185 retailers and restaurants. It surpassed Brooklyn's KINGS PLAZA as the largest suburban-style shopping mall within the physical limits of New York City.
By August 2003, the Rouse Company had established full ownership of the center. The next year, the entire Rouse portfolio was bought by Chicago-based General Growth Properties. News of an open-air, lifestyle-type expansion of STATEN ISLAND MALL surfaced in January 2008. This 110,000 square foot addition was to include upscale boutiques and casual dining restaurants, along with a relocation of the existing Food Court. However, The Great Recession and General Growth Properties' 2009-2010 bout with bankruptcy caused plans for the renovation to be temporarily shelved.
For over 40 years, STATEN ISLAND MALL had enjoyed its enviable position as the borough's preeminent shopping center. By the year 2014, this was being placed in jeopardy. News had surfaced about the prospective EMPIRE OUTLETS {6.5 miles northeast, in the St. George section of the borough}. The first phase of this "category-defining retail destination" was to encompass 470,000 square feet and open for business in November 2017.
As a countermeasure, it was announced that the long-delayed expansion of STATEN ISLAND MALL would, at last, be undertaken. The 2 level project would add 242,000 leasable square feet to the existing complex and include a (40,000 square foot) Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe. An indoor-outdoor Streetscape along the west-facing front of the mall would house retail and restaurant space. The existing Food Court would be relocated to a 12-bay Food District. Moreover, a multilevel parking garage would be built at the northwest corner of the complex.
Construction commenced in September 2016. As work was proceeding, a new junior anchor joined the tenant list. Dublin, Ireland's Primark, a high fashion men's, women's and children's clothier, leased a section of the STATEN ISLAND MALL Sears. The downsized (49,400 square foot) Sears occupied half of the lower level of the building. The (73,600 square foot) Primark took in most of the upper floor. The store was inaugurated on March 16, 2017.
The first stores in the mall expansion opened for business in April and May of 2018. These included Zara, Ulta Beauty, Land's End and Tommy's Tavern & Tap. Tenants in the new Food District included Burger King, Melt Shop and Sarku Japan. Two freestanding restaurants, Shake Shack and Chipotle Mexican Grill, were also built as part of the expansion. STATEN ISLAND MALL now encompassed approximately 1,392,000 leasable square feet.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, STATEN ISLAND MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
For over 40 years, STATEN ISLAND MALL had enjoyed its enviable position as the borough's preeminent shopping center. By the year 2014, this was being placed in jeopardy. News had surfaced about the prospective EMPIRE OUTLETS {6.5 miles northeast, in the St. George section of the borough}. The first phase of this "category-defining retail destination" was to encompass 470,000 square feet and open for business in November 2017.
As a countermeasure, it was announced that the long-delayed expansion of STATEN ISLAND MALL would, at last, be undertaken. The 2 level project would add 242,000 leasable square feet to the existing complex and include a (40,000 square foot) Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe. An indoor-outdoor Streetscape along the west-facing front of the mall would house retail and restaurant space. The existing Food Court would be relocated to a 12-bay Food District. Moreover, a multilevel parking garage would be built at the northwest corner of the complex.
Construction commenced in September 2016. As work was proceeding, a new junior anchor joined the tenant list. Dublin, Ireland's Primark, a high fashion men's, women's and children's clothier, leased a section of the STATEN ISLAND MALL Sears. The downsized (49,400 square foot) Sears occupied half of the lower level of the building. The (73,600 square foot) Primark took in most of the upper floor. The store was inaugurated on March 16, 2017.
The first stores in the mall expansion opened for business in April and May of 2018. These included Zara, Ulta Beauty, Land's End and Tommy's Tavern & Tap. Tenants in the new Food District included Burger King, Melt Shop and Sarku Japan. Two freestanding restaurants, Shake Shack and Chipotle Mexican Grill, were also built as part of the expansion. STATEN ISLAND MALL now encompassed approximately 1,392,000 leasable square feet.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, STATEN ISLAND MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
Lower Level space in the downsized Sears was taken by a (37,400 square foot), Neckarsulm, Germany-based Lidl supermarket. It welcomed first shoppers on December 12, 2018. The American Multi-Cinema Dine-In Staten Island 11 was installed in newly-built Upper Level space. The megaplex showed its first features on February 7, 2019. Sears closed for good September 15, 2019, ending nearly 46 years of operation.
Sources:
The New York Times
The New York Daily News
The New York Times
The New York Daily News
http://www.therousecompany.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
https://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
http://www.silive.com / Staten Island Live
http://www.empireoutletsnyc.com
"Staten Island Mall Enlargement Environmental Assessment Statement" / June 2014
https://www.primark.com
http://www.empireoutletsnyc.com
"Staten Island Mall Enlargement Environmental Assessment Statement" / June 2014
https://www.primark.com
"Staten Island Mall" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF STATEN ISLAND MALL IMAGES:
The images from Staten Island Live illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.
