VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Onondaga County is One Step Closer to Redeveloping ShoppingTown Mall
NAZYM BEKAEV, DEWITT RESIDENT: “It was beautiful, this shopping mall, ShoppingTown mall it was like perfect you know.”
REPORTER BROOKE VACCARO: FOLLOWING TWO COURT WINS, ONONDAGA COUNTY IS USING EMINENT DOMAIN TO SEIZE THE MACY’S IN SHOPPINGTOWN MALL, WHICH HAS BEEN ABANDONED SINCE 2020.
THE MACYS WAS OWNED SEPARATELY BY BENDERSON, A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, MAKING THE COUNTY UNABLE TO DEVELOP THE SPACE.
BUT AFTER FILING WITH THE STATE SUPREME COURT LAST WEEK, THE COUNTY CAN NOW CLAIM THE FORMER DEPARTMENT STORE.
RYAN MCMAHON, ONONDAGA COUNTY EXECUTIVE: “We filed the article for papers against Macy’s and Benderson so that we can take title of the property and we can get going and we’re looking at a new vision for that community.”
BROOKE VACCARO, REPORTER: OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS IN A PLAN FOR THE 60-ACRE SPACE. ONE PROPOSAL IS AN OPEN TOWN CENTER CALLED DISTRICT EAST.
DISTRICT EAST IS DESIGNED TO HAVE STORES, OFFICES, ENTERTAINMENT AND HOUSING. MCMAHON SAYS THE COUNTY IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN AND LOOKING FOR OTHER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT, HOPEFULLY, IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FORMER MALL WAS.
BEKAEV: “Some entertainment things. You know why, because the Cinema theater was like probably one of the last things to close here. Just where the kids can spend some time, you know just the food, other attractions you know.”
VACCARO: WITH OTHER SHOPPING IN THE AREA, SOME ARE HOPING FOR BIGGER STORES THAT WILL AVOID CLOSING DOWN LIKE SHOPPINGTOWN DID.
MIKE GOODHINES, DEWITT RESIDENT: “It would be great to have something going there that is maybe bigger-friendly stores, maybe bigger shops.”
DEWITT, N.Y. (NCC News)– Following two court wins last Thursday, Onondaga County is using eminent domain to seize the former Macy’s in ShoppingTown Mall. This marks a step forward for the county who has been trying to develop the 60-acres of abandoned land since the mall closed its doors in 2020.
The mall has yet to be developed because both the Macy’s and Sears stores are owned by private developers, Benderson and Transform respectively, rather than the county. In hopes of redeveloping the space without approval, Onondaga County went to court. They won twice, gaining access to the Macy’s space through eminent domain.
Ryan McMahon, Onondaga County Executive, said being able to seize the store is a big deal.
“We filed the article for papers against Macy’s and Benderson so that we can take title of the property and we can get going and we’re looking at a new vision for that community,” said McMahon.
Before ShoppingTown shut down after COVID, it was a hallmark of the community beloved for its movie theater and shopping convenience. People who are upset that it closed are looking forward to something new coming to the area.
“It was beautiful, this shopping mall, ShoppingTown mall it was like perfect you know,” said longtime DeWitt resident Nazym Bekaev.
“I think it’s a shame, I mean it’s a great space and I think it was a lot of potential to have different things in there but I think this plaza over here and probably everything else, just sucked the business away,” said Mike Goodhines
For the last few years, Onondaga County and local developers have been planning a development called District East for ShoppingTown. Renderings of the open-concept town center include retail stores, apartments, offices and entertainment venues. McMahon said they are planning to move forward with these plans.
“I think overall, we’re going to take that District East vision, about a town center with some of those elements. We’re certainly going to look at different types of high-tech research and development opportunities as well and blend those in and certainly those 60-acres of the community are going to be put back to good use.”
Members of the DeWitt community are hopeful that whatever the county decided to do with the space is just as good as ShoppingTown Mall was.
“I would like to see some entertainment things. You know, because the Cinema theater was like probably one of the last things to close here. Just where the kids can spend some time, you know just the food, other attractions you know,” said Nazym.
“It would be great to have something going there that is maybe bigger-friendly stores, maybe bigger shops,” said Goodhines.
With only the former Sears left under private ownership, McMahon said they are looking to buy the space so they can begin development.