Community Board 4 meeting draws worried residents

Community Board 4 meeting draws worried residents

A growing number of empty storefronts at the Concourse Plaza Shopping Center on 161st St. has raised local concern about the future of the 228,000-square-foot complex.

"People are very tense about where things stand right now. It is disruptive to the community as it stands, as a vacant shopping center.” said Pastor Earl McKay, the chair of the housing and land use committee for Community Board 4, at a meeting Tuesday night.

“People are concerned for their safety and for what the future will be."

Several stores at the Plaza had their leases terminated over the past year, including more than half a dozen in the center's food court, by the mall's owner, the Feil Organization, leaving much of the site empty.

Food Bazaar, a large supermarket, and a 10-screen movie theater will remain open while the facade of the building and much of the rest of the mall are renovated, according to Feil.

At the Community Board 4 general meeting, board members worried that the empty stores could lead to a spike in crime and wondered what the vacancies meant for the future of the site.

"It's just them looking at the market and trying to find a different type of tenancy,” said district manager Jose Rodriguez, trying to quell the fears of his fellow board members.

“There are other retail changes going on throughout the borough and while we don't want empty stores in the neighborhood, it is a private issue between the landlord and the tenants,"

But others in the neighborhood echoed the feelings of the board.

"That area really is the heart of the neighborhood and it is a shame to see it empty. Whatever happens, we hope that the landlord is sensitive to the needs of the community," said Cary Goodman, executive director of the 161st St. Business Improvement District.

The landlord of the complex referred to a newly opened Blink Fitness in an office tower adjacent to the mall as a sign of what’s to come.

"We are in a transitional phase right now," said Randy Briskin, the vice president of leasing for the Feil Organization.

"We are heavily invested in the community and we maintain that, hopefully by this time next year, the community will see the vision that we have for the future."

The future of the shopping plaza, according to Briskin, includes two new anchor stores, a revamped food court, and, possibly, a daycare center that would occupy a second-floor space.