Palisades mall how many floors

Clarkstown's explainer on the referendum points out that even if the measure is passed, the mall's owners would need to apply for Planning Board approval for any increase in leasable space beyond its current 1. A statement from the Pyramid Management Group, which operates the Palisades Center, said the Town Board's unanimous decision to put the referendum before voters "recognized the important economic benefits for the Town and its residents that will result from voters approving the referendum and enabling the improvement of Palisades Center.

The statement concludes: "As the owners of Palisades Center, we desire to enhance Palisades Center and respond to the evolving nature of brick and mortar retail and the additional challenges caused by COVID Pyramid would not comment on whether it would produce, distribute or otherwise support any materials, flyers or emails in support of the referendum's passage, or on whether passage of the referendum would lead the company to drop its lawsuit.

Also thrown into the mix: The mall's owners have filed a legal challenge against Clarkstown seeking to have the shopping center's property taxes cut in half. The challenge cites revenue declines, store closures and online competition that have worsened during the pandemic. Con: Vera Aronow, Nyack resident and documentary filmmaker who co-produced, wrote and directed "Megamall, " a film that traces the origins of the Palisades Center and its impact on the community. From the beginning the mall was dogged by rumors, the most prevalent of which being that the underground parking lot was sinking because it was built on unstable swampland, and that it would collapse under its own weight.

After the holiday seasons, rumors of the mall's closing abounded. Local police, town engineering officials and the mall's developers, however, assured the public that there was no truth to these stories and that the mall was safe and in no danger of closing. A managing partner of the mall, Thomas J. Valenti, appeared on a later episode of The Rosie O'Donnell Show , where he performed a song and dance number to the tune of "Cheek to Cheek," debunking the rumors of the mall sinking.

In , ShopRite opened across the street from the mall. On May 3, , Pyramid announced that Palisades Center would undergo a multimillion-dollar makeover later that month, which would be completed by the end of the year. The remodeling was intended to create a more sophisticated appearance to the mall, which had begun to show signs of wear and tear. The renovation brought about a warmer color scheme to soften the institutional beige of the mall, colored glass mosaics, ceiling facets, and designer lighting.

Some aspects of the remodeling targeted specific areas of the mall. For example, the four-story court at the center of the mall incorporates glass handrails and architectural lighting elements, and the "Theatery" area on level 4 received new tile floors and chandelier fixtures. Other areas had soft seating, custom planters, and plush carpets added to them.

The kiddie rides were removed; some of them were moved to the escalators leading from the food court to the fourth floor, while others, such as the Jolly Roger Superman Train kiddie ride, were removed entirely.

Two years later, in , the AMC Theatres location was renovated. The building was remodeled and the theater replaced its former gray seats with red luxurious self-adjustable controlled recliners.

The theater also added Coke Freestyle machines and self-serve ICEE machines, which replaced the former video game arcade. The space is going to be used for a York Factory office.

Opponents of the mall have stated that their predictions prior to the mall's construction have come to fruition, complaining that the Superfund site located on the property was paved over rather than cleaned and that the mall tax receipts failed to lower the average homeowner's bill as advertised. Mall opponent Bruce Broadley commented, "Everything we said would happen happened. Go back and look at all the proposals and drawings.

It's a vastly different mall that was built. Rosie, who at the time lived in Nyack, said finding a parking spot during the Christmas rush was no problem because people were staying away. Mall managing partner Tom Valenti appeared on the show the following morning to refute the rumors. At the time Clarkstown's Building Department said cracks in the mall's walls and floors, a sinking basement parking lot and vibrating floors were to be expected when a building of that size is plopped on top of a former landfill and swamp.

At a recent celebration marking the Palisades Center's 20th anniversary, officials and business leaders took turns praising the mall and wishing it future success. General manager Darrin Houseman used the occasion to tout the site as "one of the largest and most visited malls in the country," with more than 24 million visitors from all 50 states and around the globe.

The mall's promotional video takes credit for "bringing economic growth to Clarkstown, raising awareness, property values and overall pride to the area. What the town spends to provide services to the sprawling mall pretty much wipes out what it receives in taxes, Hoehmann said. That I don't think ever really happened. If the mall didn't generate the anticipated tax windfall, neither did it produce the crime wave some feared given the number of people it attracts, according to the Clarkstown Police Department.

The department's crime figures from January to March showed the Palisades Center accounted for 28 percent of the town's reported robberies and 26 percent of reported larcenies. The mall accounted for lower percentages for other reported crimes: arson, 9 percent; assault, 8 percent; burglary, 8 percent; and rape, 5 percent. Roger Cohen, president of Nyack Chamber of Commerce, said his village's downtown had remained vibrant alongside its neighbor just two miles west.

Those experiences are complementary and not mutually exclusive. Cohen said Nyack's small businesses perhaps face a bigger threat than that posed by the Palisades Center. Lasker also warned of the dangers that online shopping posed to a town that had become "over-retailed. Hoehmann said he believed the mall was in good financial shape, but "God forbid they're not successful, there's an enormous hole in the county budget, the school district budget and the town budget.

Marketing director Rachel Chester said the Palisades Center would continue to diversify its mix of retail with dining and entertainment. She pointed to the addition of a ropes course, escape rooms, bowling alley and comedy club as examples of the mall's efforts "to stay vibrant, relevant and enhance the overall guest experience.