Palisades Center Expansion On The Ballot

WEST NYACK, NY — An expansion plan for the Palisades Center is up for a vote in Clarkstown.

The Palisades Center draws shoppers from the tri-state area and provides a large portion of Rockland's sales tax revenues. It offers 225 brands, 16 sit-down restaurants, a bowling alley, ice rink, the world’s tallest indoor ropes course, comedy club, and more. At issue is, as it has been for years, the restriction limiting the large mall to 1.854 million square feet of gross leasable space.

The Town Board voted unanimously in favor in July to take the proposal to voters.

A spokesperson for Pyramid Management Group, LLC told Patch they were happy the town council recognized the important benefits for the town and its residents that would result from enabling the improvement of Palisades Center given the economic issues facing the retail industry and Rockland County.

"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-19," they said.

The restrictive covenant was put in place a quarter-century ago. In 1996, the town discontinued using three roads and sold the land to the mall's developers, who in return agreed to limit its size.

When the mall was built, it included roughly 236,000 square feet more gross leasable space than the 1.854 million square feet of gross leasable space for which it was approved. Most of this square footage is empty space, and that's primarily on the fourth floor. Mall owner EklecCo NewCo sued unsuccessfully in 2016 to try to have the referendum requirement removed.

Passing this referendum would allow the mall's owners to apply to the Clarkstown Planning Board.

"Passing this referendum gives the Palisades Center the ability to apply to the Planning Board for the use of additional leasable area both inside and outside the current facility," town officials said on the website. "It does not give the Palisades Center the right to increase and use additional area however it sees fit."

The referendum is on the back of the ballot.

For more information, you can read an FAQ on the town website.

SEE ALSO:

• Election 2020: New City Voter Guide
• Palisades Center Owners Sue Clarkstown Over Expansion Plans