Voters this November will be able to
decide on lifting restrictions that would allow the Palisades Mall to expand.
Officials
say the only way for the Palisades Mall to use the vacant area is for voters to lift the
restrictions in November.
Businesses like Bronte Menswear, located in the mall, have bounced back from
months closed due to COVID-19.
"It's a family business, so it took a scare at the end of the day that we didn't know
what was going to happen,” says Fausto Raposo, of Bronte Menswear.
The owner is backing the referendum this November that he
believes would be the big break the mall needs.
“It will definitely produce more revenue, more jobs and show people things are
coming back,’ says Raposo. “We need to open up we need that sense of
normalcy."
Town
Supervisor George Hoehmann isn’t against occupying the space, saying in part, “They would have the ability to change, use the space
upstairs, the ability to be able to change the footprint to the mall. They
would be limited to how much bigger they can get, but they would have the ability to get slightly bigger as well."
The
vote can impact 230,000 square feet being put to use, as well as an additional
250,000 square feet outdoors.
The referendum was previously denied by voters in 2002. Since then, online shopping has advanced and made competition in the retail
world difficult.
Coresight Research estimates 25% of malls will close over the next
five years.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day believes if the malls fail, $60
million in sales, property and school taxes may be at stake.
“Seventy-six
percent of their shoppers come in from outside of the
county. Those shoppers spend money, their money, here in Rockland and we
get that money here to help with services in Rockland County,” says Day.
Rockland County residents can vote on this matter
in the November election.