BJ's, Linens On Things leases complete Nassau project

Real Estate Weekly, August 11, 2004

Commitments for two new anchor stores, BJ's Wholesale Club and Linens On Things, and the expansion of Hunter Business School, have just been announced at Nassau Mall in Levittown, N.Y., according to the shopping center's owner/operator The Feil Organization.

Construction is already underway for the 114,000 s/f BJ's and 32,000 s/f Linens On Things. Both retailers are scheduled to open this fall and will join Lord & Taylor and Best Buy, as well as the newly remodeled Hunter Business School, which has just completed a 6,000 s/f expansion into 14,000 s/f.

Nassau Mall is located adjacent to Crescent Plaza, (also owned by The Feil Organization), and shares parking facilities with the 200,000 s/f retail strip center. Thus, Nassau Mall retailers benefit from constant cross-shopping clientele with Kohl's, Loews Theatres, Michaels, Party City and Old Navy.

Located directly on the highly-trafficked Hempstead Turnpike in one of Long Island's most affluent and densely-populated communities, Nassau Mall is strategically situated to capitalize on the Nassau county market area of over 1 millionconsumers with an average household income of nearly $80,000.

Built in the 70's, the enclosed, two-level center opened with anchor tenants Rickel's and Pathmark. The Feil Organization purchased the center in 1987, renovated the building exterior and interior and remixed the tenancy to offer a more upscale and diverse variety of goods and services. With the addition of such retailers as Mandee, Foot Locker, Hallmark and Dress Barn, Nassau Mall prospered for over a decade.

When the industry-wide move to build power centers came about in the late 1990's, The Feil Organization decided that Nassau Mall needed repositioning. A five-year, multi-million dollar renovation plan was put into place to de-mall and re-tenant the center with big-box, power retailers. Best Buy and Coconuts were brought in and Lord & Taylor expanded. With the current addition of BJ's and Linens On Things, the redevelopment of Nassau Mall will be complete by the end of 2004.