Sen. Skoufis: Woodbury Common outlet mall owners ignoring requests about train proposal

A state lawmaker is calling for a train station to be added near the Woodbury Commons outlet mall in Orange County, but the mall's operator doesn’t seem to be coming to the table.

News 12 Staff

Oct 18, 2019, 9:50 AM

Updated 1,820 days ago

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Sen. Skoufis: Woodbury Common outlet mall owners ignoring requests about train proposal
A state lawmaker is calling for a train station to be added near the Woodbury Common outlet mall in Orange County, but the mall's operator doesn't seem to be coming to the table.
The calls for a new train station come as Simon Properties, which owns and operates the outlet mall, is planning to expand - potentially bringing more traffic to the area.
Earlier this year, Sen. James Skoufis secured $5 million from Albany to build a new Metro-North train station near the shopping venue.
He says no train tracks will be needed since the Port Jervis line runs behind the Woodbury property, but Simon properties would have to pay for part of the project.
Skoufis argues the company stands to benefit greatly, with more shoppers gaining access to the outlet's more than 200 stores. He says Simon Properties has ignored his repeated requests over the past five months to meet with him and the chairman of the MTA.
The state is investing $150 million for a two-year project to add lanes and alleviate traffic near the mall. Skoufis says any expansion proposal should be rejected unless it includes plans to add a train station.
The state funding is only available until the end of the fiscal year in April.
Simon Properties told News 12 that a train station at Woodbury Common is simply not realistic. In a statement from the general manager of the property, he says $5 million isn't enough to build a train station that could costs tens of millions of dollars.
The general manager added that there are already multiple buses that run daily to the outlets from Port Authority in New York City.