Medley Centre
Encyclopedia
Medley Centre is a mostly vacant shopping mall in Irondequoit, New York
near Rochester
. The mall opened in 1990 as Irondequoit Mall, but early success gave way to dwindling patronage in the face of competition and a perception that crime was common. Developer Adam Bersin of Bersin Properties LLC attempted to resurrect the mall with its new name, but his efforts also failed. The mall then was sold to SRC Development Corp, an offshoot of The Pyramid Companies, which intends to renovate and expand the mall into a mixed-use facility, with residences, a hotel, and a movie theater in addition to retail space. On November 16, 2009, a forthcoming name change was announced, replacing "Medley" with "LakeRidge". With all stores now closed except for anchor store
s Macy's
and Sears, the mall is effectively dead
, awaiting the start of redevelopment.
. In 1993, McCurdy's
was added, which later became Bon-Ton. The mall did very well at first, with a variety of smaller, specialty stores unavailable elsewhere in the area. It started to decline in 1995, when 2 malls nearby, Greece Towne Mall and Long Ridge Mall, joined to become The Mall at Greece Ridge
, and another area mall, Eastview Mall
, expanded. The mall was also beset by the perception that it was prone to crime.
In 2003, JC Penney closed, and approximately 80 percent of the mall's non-anchor retail space was vacant. In 2005, Wilmorite sold the mall to Bersin Properties LLC, headed by Adam Bersin, and the name of the mall changed to Medley Centre. Also in 2005, the mall got a new anchor, Steve & Barry's
. In 2006 the mall got 2 new anchors: Macy's (replaced Kaufmanns), and Target
(in an exterior location). New stores started to open in the mall, and an indoor playground for children served as a drawing card. This brief success, though, was short-lived.
It was announced on April 10, 2007 that Scott R. Congel, a former principal with The Pyramid Companies of Syracuse and current owner of SRC Development Corp., would purchase Bersin Properties LLC as a subsidiary for an undisclosed sum. Adam Bersin remained temporarily to manage the property. Bersin has since ceased association with the venture, but his surname remains in the Bersin Properties LLC name. The sale triggered speculation that the half-empty mall may be developed into a mixed use property.
On May 13, 2008 Steve & Barry's announced that they would close their Medley Centre store by May 25 to move it to a new location at the West Gates Shopping Center; shortly thereafter the entire Steve & Barry's chain went out of business.
It was also learned by numerous members of the local media that the mall had filed with the Monroe County Clerks Office a 66000 square feet (6,131.6 m²) lease agreement with Regal Entertainment Group for a first floor cinema complex, which again triggered speculation on what the future holds for the property.
Current plans involve extensive redevelopment of the property into a mixed-use facility including a large hotel, condominiums, a movie theater, and office space, in addition to retail and restaurant space. Pursuant to that, all of the stores remaining in the mall, except for Sears and Macy's, closed in early January 2009.
On March 17, 2009, Bersin Properties LLC received final approval from COMIDA (County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency) of a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement that, in the previous week, received the required consent form both the Town of Irondequoit and the East Irondequoit Central School District (the school district in which the property is located).
With the PILOT agreement approved, the redevelopment project is now able to move forward from legal and regulatory perspectives. However, the slowdown in the economy has made obtaining final financing a major difficulty for SRC Development; thus, as of autumn 2009, the project has not yet begun.
In April, 2010, a local newspaper reported that Scott Congel had met with Irondequoit's new Supervisor, Mary Joyce D’Aurizio. "The developer is just repositioning some of the tenants in an effort to reduce remodeling costs," said D'Aurizio in the news article. "“The project has not been reduced in scope...he left no doubt that he’s definitely moving forward with his plans.”
Irondequoit, New York
Irondequoit is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the coterminous town-CDP had a total population of 51,692...
near Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The mall opened in 1990 as Irondequoit Mall, but early success gave way to dwindling patronage in the face of competition and a perception that crime was common. Developer Adam Bersin of Bersin Properties LLC attempted to resurrect the mall with its new name, but his efforts also failed. The mall then was sold to SRC Development Corp, an offshoot of The Pyramid Companies, which intends to renovate and expand the mall into a mixed-use facility, with residences, a hotel, and a movie theater in addition to retail space. On November 16, 2009, a forthcoming name change was announced, replacing "Medley" with "LakeRidge". With all stores now closed except for anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and Sears, the mall is effectively dead
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
, awaiting the start of redevelopment.
History
In 1990, Wilmorite Properties. opened the Irondequoit Mall, a two floor shopping mall with three anchors: Sears, JC Penney, and Kaufmann'sKaufmann's
Kaufmann's was a department store that originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was owned in the early 20th century by Edgar J. Kaufmann, patron of 'Fallingwater' and the Kaufmann's Desert House. In the post-war years the store became a regional chain in the eastern United States, and was last...
. In 1993, McCurdy's
McCurdy's
McCurdy's was a Rochester, New York-based department store. Founded in 1901, the company was acquired by May Department Stores in 1994, but as a result of an antitrust settlement due to both McCurdy's and May's Kaufmann's stores being the predominant anchors in the area shopping malls, its stores...
was added, which later became Bon-Ton. The mall did very well at first, with a variety of smaller, specialty stores unavailable elsewhere in the area. It started to decline in 1995, when 2 malls nearby, Greece Towne Mall and Long Ridge Mall, joined to become The Mall at Greece Ridge
The Mall at Greece Ridge
The Mall at Greece Ridge is located in Greece, a suburb of Rochester, New York, and managed by Wilmorite Management Group LLC. It contains 140 stores and restaurants in the main complex, with 10 big box retailers including Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, Michaels,...
, and another area mall, Eastview Mall
Eastview Mall
Eastview Mall, located in Victor, New York and managed by Mike Kauffman, is an indoor shopping center owned and operated by Wilmorite Management Group, LLC ....
, expanded. The mall was also beset by the perception that it was prone to crime.
In 2003, JC Penney closed, and approximately 80 percent of the mall's non-anchor retail space was vacant. In 2005, Wilmorite sold the mall to Bersin Properties LLC, headed by Adam Bersin, and the name of the mall changed to Medley Centre. Also in 2005, the mall got a new anchor, Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
. In 2006 the mall got 2 new anchors: Macy's (replaced Kaufmanns), and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
(in an exterior location). New stores started to open in the mall, and an indoor playground for children served as a drawing card. This brief success, though, was short-lived.
It was announced on April 10, 2007 that Scott R. Congel, a former principal with The Pyramid Companies of Syracuse and current owner of SRC Development Corp., would purchase Bersin Properties LLC as a subsidiary for an undisclosed sum. Adam Bersin remained temporarily to manage the property. Bersin has since ceased association with the venture, but his surname remains in the Bersin Properties LLC name. The sale triggered speculation that the half-empty mall may be developed into a mixed use property.
On May 13, 2008 Steve & Barry's announced that they would close their Medley Centre store by May 25 to move it to a new location at the West Gates Shopping Center; shortly thereafter the entire Steve & Barry's chain went out of business.
It was also learned by numerous members of the local media that the mall had filed with the Monroe County Clerks Office a 66000 square feet (6,131.6 m²) lease agreement with Regal Entertainment Group for a first floor cinema complex, which again triggered speculation on what the future holds for the property.
Current plans involve extensive redevelopment of the property into a mixed-use facility including a large hotel, condominiums, a movie theater, and office space, in addition to retail and restaurant space. Pursuant to that, all of the stores remaining in the mall, except for Sears and Macy's, closed in early January 2009.
On March 17, 2009, Bersin Properties LLC received final approval from COMIDA (County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency) of a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) agreement that, in the previous week, received the required consent form both the Town of Irondequoit and the East Irondequoit Central School District (the school district in which the property is located).
With the PILOT agreement approved, the redevelopment project is now able to move forward from legal and regulatory perspectives. However, the slowdown in the economy has made obtaining final financing a major difficulty for SRC Development; thus, as of autumn 2009, the project has not yet begun.
In April, 2010, a local newspaper reported that Scott Congel had met with Irondequoit's new Supervisor, Mary Joyce D’Aurizio. "The developer is just repositioning some of the tenants in an effort to reduce remodeling costs," said D'Aurizio in the news article. "“The project has not been reduced in scope...he left no doubt that he’s definitely moving forward with his plans.”
Current anchors
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
– Opened 1990 as Kaufmann's, became Macy's in 2006. (127,068 sq ft.) - Sears – Opened 1990. (110,691 sq ft.)
Former anchors
- Bon Ton – Opened 1993 as McCurdy's, closed in 1994, became Bon-Ton in 1995. (103,456 sq ft.) Closed in May 2007.
- JCPenney – Opened 1990, Closed 2003, became Steve & Barry's on upper level in 2005(110,321 sq ft.)
- Kaufmann'sKaufmann'sKaufmann's was a department store that originated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was owned in the early 20th century by Edgar J. Kaufmann, patron of 'Fallingwater' and the Kaufmann's Desert House. In the post-war years the store became a regional chain in the eastern United States, and was last...
– Opened 1990, Became Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
in 2006. (127,068 sq ft.) - McCurdy'sMcCurdy'sMcCurdy's was a Rochester, New York-based department store. Founded in 1901, the company was acquired by May Department Stores in 1994, but as a result of an antitrust settlement due to both McCurdy's and May's Kaufmann's stores being the predominant anchors in the area shopping malls, its stores...
– opened 1993, closed 1994, became Bon-Ton in 1995. (103,456 sq ft.) - Steve and Barry's – Opened 2005 in upper level of former JC Penney. Closed 2008
See also
- Midtown PlazaMidtown Plaza (Rochester)Midtown Plaza was an indoor shopping mall in downtown Rochester, New York, the first urban indoor mall in the United States.-History:...
- Eastview MallEastview MallEastview Mall, located in Victor, New York and managed by Mike Kauffman, is an indoor shopping center owned and operated by Wilmorite Management Group, LLC ....
- The Marketplace MallThe Marketplace MallThe Marketplace Mall is managed by Wilmorite and located in the heart of the Rochester, New York metropolitan area on Hylan Drive, in the suburb of Henrietta....
- The Mall at Greece RidgeThe Mall at Greece RidgeThe Mall at Greece Ridge is located in Greece, a suburb of Rochester, New York, and managed by Wilmorite Management Group LLC. It contains 140 stores and restaurants in the main complex, with 10 big box retailers including Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, Michaels,...