Crossgates Mall

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This article is about the American shopping mall. For other uses, see Crossgates.
Crossgates Mall
Crossgates Mall logo
LocationGuilderland, New York
Opening dateMarch 4, 1984
DeveloperThe Pyramid Companies
ManagementThe Pyramid Companies
OwnerPyramid Management Group
No. of stores and services200
No. of anchor tenants9 (8 open, 1 in development)
Total retail floor area1,700,000 sq ft (160,000 m2)
No. of floors2 plus mezzanine level in center court
Public transit accessBus transport CDTA bus: 10, 12, 114, 117, 155, 190, 712, 763
Websiteshopcrossgates.com

Crossgates Mall is an enclosed, automobile-oriented, super-regional shopping mall located in the Albany, New York suburb of Guilderland. It is the largest indoor shopping center in the Capital District, and the third largest in the State of New York. The anchor stores are Primark (Coming 2022), Macy's, JCPenney, Burlington, Best Buy, Forever 21, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

History[]

Pre-1970s[]

Crossgates Mall is built is within the Albany Pine Bush, one of the largest of the world's 20 inland pine barrens. It was formed thousands of years ago, following the drainage of Lake Albany.[1] When Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, the Pine Bush was in use as hunting grounds and firewood supply of the Mohawk nation of the Haudenosaunee to the west along the Mohawk River, and the Mahican to the east, along the Hudson River.

Proposal, Opposition, and Construction[]

In the 1970s, Syracuse-based Pyramid Management Group, Inc. (Pyramid) began purchasing lands within the Pine Bush with the intent to develop a shopping mall, but it wasn't until 1978 that their plans were revealed to the public. The initial proposal called for a $50 million mall on a 175-acre lot with six anchor stores, 100 vendors, a food court, and direct access from the Adirondack Northway. [2] Opposition from residents and environmentalists was rapid and widespread. The first public hearing on the project was attended by more than 300 speakers, the majority of whom opposed the projects on the grounds that it would destroy a large swath of the unique and ecologically sensitive Pine Bush, would contribute to the continuing urbanization of Guilderland, would cause traffic congestion, and would not provide the claimed economic benefits, among other objections.[3] Despite widespread opposition, a petition from a citizen's group known as the Concerned Citizens Against Crossgates, and an embattled town board, the project was approved rapidly. In opposition, the town supervisor at the time stated: "Taking into consideration that the majority of the correspondence I got was opposed to the Crossgates, and (a) feeling that I have that, in the future that part of town will just be a conglomeration of traffic, I am forced to vote in the negative."[4] The decision was the cause of at least one town official's resignation.[5] During the four years following the unveiling of the proposal, the town board only voted unanimously on one aspect of the project: that the town should receive its full share of the resulting tax revenue.[6]

Early Years[]

The mall opened on March 4, 1984. Although Pyramid had initially planned for a 1.3 million square footprint with six anchors, at opening it occupied only 975,000 square feet and had four anchors: a Caldor, Jordan Marsh, Filene's, and JCPenney. Of the roughly 170 smaller vendor spaces, 80 were occupied.[7] It was the seventh enclosed shopping mall built by Pyramid, part of a nationwide boom in shopping center openings that peaked at 2,600 in 1985.[8] The opening was attended by thousands of prospective customers from across the Capital District. The vast majority of these came by car, leading to backups and delays on Western Avenue, indicative of the transportation issues that would dominate discussions and negotiations between Pyramid, residents, and the town for years to come.

Throughout the 1980s, Pyramid sought to expand the mall into the footprint originally envisioned, but were repeatedly rebuffed by the Town. In October 1988, while standing in Town Hall, the Guilderland Town Supervisor told a reporter with the Altamont Enterprise:

"Every once in a while a representative of Pyramid will come in here and say, 'we want to expand'. And our response has always been, 'if you want to expand, you've got to do something about the traffic on Route 20.' What we're talking about is a direct connection between Crossgate's ring road and the Northway, which is a multi-million dollar project."[9]

Expansion[]

In October 1994 the mall underwent an expansion nearly doubling its footprint to almost 1.7 million square feet and providing space for up to 250 stores. Following this expansion, Lord & Taylor, Hoyts Cinemas, and a new Filene’s store opened as anchors. The original Filene’s space was partially occupied by a Dick’s Sporting Goods. In 1996, anchor Jordan Marsh was replaced by Macy's when the Jordan Marsh brand was retired.

In 1998, Pyramid attempted to double the mall footprint to 3.6 million square feet for a new recreation facility, and sought to raze a nearby residential neighborhood for an 8-story hotel. Following widespread citizen protests, the Guilderland Town Board rejected the required zoning changes.[10]

In 1999, Cohoes Fashions relocated their store from their historic location in downtown Cohoes, New York. In 2007 their parent company, Burlington Coat Factory, closed many of the Cohoes locations and branded those that remained as Burlington Coat Factory. Caldor went out of business the same year. Their space at the mall's center court was split between a Best Buy on the second floor and an H&M on the first. Lord & Taylor would construct a new store in 2014. In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic the chain went out of business and the store will transform into a Primark in 2022.[11]

Diversification[]

To maintain its position amid competition from online shopping, Pyramid begun to add several dining and entertainment options by the mid-2010's.[12] Since 2017, some of these spaces were venues such as a Funny Bone, a bowling alley, and a 5 Wits.[13][14]

In August 2017 Pyramid announced a plan to construct a hotel in partnership with the Hilton chain. The hotel opened in 2018, achieving a strategic goal Pyramid had held since at least the late 1990s. It opened under the Homewood Suites, aimed at long-term stays, and the Tru brand, aimed at younger travelers. Both brands are owned by Hilton.[15]

On the heels of the hotel opening, Pyramid announced a plan to develop three sites adjacent to mall.[16] Initially, this called for 222 residential units and a Costco. The latter was to be developed on a lot that would require demolition of a "ghost neighborhood", consisting of homes Pyramid had purchased in the preceding two decades.[17] Within a month, local environmental watchdog group Save the Pine Bush, residents, and other groups sued Pyramid alleging that clearcutting of the Costco site had occurred in violation of the SEQRA and the 14th Amendment.[18] The suit was later dismissed.[19]

COVID-19 pandemic[]

In March 2020, Crossgates was one of several Capital District shopping centers whose owners reduced their hours amid the COVID-19 pandemic[20] and then shuttered following a Governor mandate. Although some of the tenants were deemed "essential" and stayed open during the pandemic, such as Best Buy, the mall interior was dark for nearly three months. Crossgates reopened mid-July 2020, when the Capital District entered Phase 4.

Description[]

Crossgates Mall is a super-regional shopping mall located in the hamlet of Westmere, in the Albany, New York suburb of Guilderland. Vehicular access is available from Western Avenue, Washington Avenue Extension, and a ramp just south of Adirondack Northway terminus. There are 10-12 parking lots. Public transit is available via a major bus stop served by multiple Capital District Transportation Authority routes.

Both Crossgates Mall and the nearby Crossgates Commons shopping plaza are owned and operated by the Pyramid Management Group, Inc. through multiple subsidiaries. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,700,000 sq ft (160,000 m2) and features 212 stores and restaurants as well as an 18-screen IMAX Regal Cinema theater. As of 2022, it is anchored by Primark (Coming 2022), Macy's, JCPenney, Burlington, Best Buy, Forever 21, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

References[]

  1. ^ Burger 2006, pp. 29–30
  2. ^ Hagyard, Robert (June 30, 1978). "Crossgates Plan Revealed at Joint Meeting". The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  3. ^ Hagyard, Robert (July 21, 1978). "Guilderland Residents Out in Force to Denounce Crossgates Project". The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  4. ^ Hagyard, Robert (August 11, 1978). "Rezoning of Crossgates Site: Town Board Members Explain Votes". The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Hagyard, Robert (September 1, 1978). "Kelly Leaves Advisory Board". The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Hagyard, Robert (October 14, 1982). "Town Moves to Protect Mall Tax $$". The Altamont Enterprise and Albany County Post. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Donato, Carol (March 8, 1984). "Thousands Present As Crossgates Opens". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Woodruff, Cathy (March 22, 2009). Written at Guilderland. "Loved, Hated and Thriving". Times Union. Colonie: Hearst Corp. p. E1.
  9. ^ Jacklet, Ben (October 27, 1988). "Crossgates to expand?". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Schotz, Andrew (September 24, 1998). "Town ready to apply brakes". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  11. ^ https://www.timesunion.com/kristi/article/New-department-store-coming-to-Crossgates-Mall-16705617.php
  12. ^ Hale-Spencer, Melissa (June 1, 2017). "Crossgates Mall develops food and entertainment venues to spur retail sales". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  13. ^ Anderson, Eric (August 17, 2016). "5 Wits Productions offers adventure venue at Crossgates". Times Union. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  14. ^ Barlette, Kristi Gustafson (September 2, 2016). "5 Wits Albany to open at Crossgates Mall this fall". Times Union. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Rulison, Larry (August 16, 2017). "Homewood Suites, Tru hotels coming to Crossgates Mall". Times Union. Colonie: Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  16. ^ Hale-Spencer, Melissa (November 30, 2018). "Pyramid proposes a complex of 222 apartments and townhouses on Rapp Road". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  17. ^ Mulkerrin, Sean (February 12, 2020). "Pyramid's plans for future growth revealed". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  18. ^ Hale-Spencer, Melissa (April 27, 2020). "Suit claims clear-cutting for Costco violates state and federal laws". The Altamont Enterprise. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  19. ^ Karlin, Rick (August 10, 2020). "Judge tosses lawsuit filed over tree cutting at Costco site". Times Union. Hearst Communications. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  20. ^ DeMasi, Michael (March 18, 2020). "Albany region malls stay open, but some stores closing amid coronavirus outbreak". Albany Business Review. Retrieved August 31, 2020.

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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