Letter to Mr. Rosen

Letter

Today, standing at ShoppingTown Mall in the Town of DeWitt, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on LNR Property, the new owner of ShoppingTown Mall, to immediately cooperate with the Town of DeWitt, Onondaga County officials, and local stakeholders to develop a long-term plan for the mall's redevelopment. Since LNR Property of Florida took control of the mall in January of 2012, the new owner has been completely silent in response to the local outreach for answers and some level of certainty in future plans for the dwindling retail center. Schumer emphasized that LNR Property should make their intentions clear, because such answers are critical for the Town of DeWitt and Onondaga County to plan their budgets.

"The Town of Dewitt simply should not have to maul its budget over unanswered questions about the ShoppingTown Mall," said Schumer. "LNR has been in the real estate business for nearly half a century, and should act as an upstanding corporate citizen, rather than going radio silent after local stakeholders, Town and Onondaga County officials, reached out for more details and certainty about their plans for ShoppingTown. LNR is holding a parcel of land that generates millions of dollars over time for services, like salaries for first responders and critical infrastructure projects, but the permanence of those tax-generated funds are in limbo, alongside ShoppingTown mall itself. While I'm not pushing for a specific development plan, I am calling on LNR to provide answers to the Town of Dewitt so that they can budget, plan and redevelop the area based on reality, not guesswork."

Schumer was joined at ShoppingTown by Ed Michelenko, DeWitt Town Supervisor, Town Board members, Town Planning Department and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney's Intergovernmental Affairs Chief, Travis Glazier. Schumer highlighted that LNR, which has a history of real estate development and management dating back to 1969, should demonstrate a willingness to work with local stakeholders, particularly given the importance of the ShoppingTown Mall to the local community. A loss of the ShoppingTown Mall could cost millions in uncollected taxes and could force DeWitt to make tough choices for its residents and taxpayers, and a potentially vacant site would act as a plight on the community and Erie Boulevard. In addition, LNR's unresponsiveness hampers the town's ability to make other plans or seek other development opportunities along Erie Boulevard. For example, if there will be new tenants or redevelopment at the ShoppingTown Mall site, this could afford stakeholders the opportunity to court new developers, restaurants and entertainment in the region.

In a personal letter to LNR Vice President Mr. Randall Rosen, Schumer urged LNR Property to end what has been eight months of uncertainty, and called on this firm to prioritize new development plans to turn ShoppingTown Mall into a vibrant, mixed-use retail site that will provide important economic benefit to the region. Schumer is not pushing a specific plan. At the very least, Schumer is calling on the Floridian company to act as an upstanding corporate citizen and swiftly respond to the Town of Dewitt's requests for answers as to the future of this site, so that stakeholders can plan appropriately for the future of the town's and Onondaga County's budget.

The impact on the mall the Onondaga County and DeWitt is immense, despite the mall's dwindling niche role in Central New York. Last year alone, ShoppingTown was responsible for ushering in over $700,000 in property tax to the county and town's budget, and contributed even more to sales tax revenues provided to Onondaga County. Schumer said that losing this yearly guarantee would be catastrophic for taxpayers and officials.

As it relates to the mall's future, Schumer contends that redevelopment is the best option and that giving ShoppingTown a more "Main Street' feel would spur local business that is anchored by their neighbor national brands. Schumer says new housing plans, part of a mixed-use plan, could also play a positive role in redevelopment efforts, and have been suggested by locals and professionals alike. Schumer says introducing a new type of housing, whether for youth or seniors, would alter the landscape to induce more pedestrian traffic at ShoppingTown. Schumer also suggested that residents of a redeveloped ShoppingTown area might desire a more urban environment with amenities that are within walking distance, opportunities the often underutilized parking lot could provide for. Schumer added, and locals hopeful for redevelopment strategies agreed, that class-A office space could also be part of the mixed-use plan and catalyze professionals looking for live-work environments.

In the immediate, Schumer says phasing these goals will be the best option for the mall, working to first and foremost, get answers from LNR, retain current tenants, engage local grocers, restaurants and the public on the use of community space to increases pedestrian traffic and firmly develop the mixed-use strategy. Schumer says rebranding ShoppingTown as a smaller lifestyle center with mixed-use and abundant public use spaces will redefine it and jumpstart its long-awaited niche rebirth.

A copy of Sen. Schumer's letter appears below:

Dear Mr. Rosen:

I write today on behalf of the Town of DeWitt, in Onondaga County, New York, where your company currently has ownership of the ShoppingTown Mall. I am writing as a follow up to repeated inquiries to LNR, one made by my own office, in hopes of getting some answers on behalf of Town officials who have been in the dark regarding LNR's plans for ShoppingTown, since Macerich defaulted in May 2011.

LNR's future plans for ShoppingTown are important to DeWitt and County officials for several reasons. Most importantly, as DeWitt's largest property tax generator, ShoppingTown provides revenue streams to the town and county that help in balancing budgets that pay for services like fire protection, police protection, plowing and other DeWitt services taxpayers rely upon. Continued silence by LNR is causing unease for town officials, especially the Town Supervisor, who is charged with overseeing the budget. Officials fear LNR's silence also hurts ShoppingTown's ability to lure and keep retail tenants.

In addition, DeWitt officials have been working hand-in-glove with other stakeholders, including Cornell University, on redevelopment plans for the mall. These plans, with help and feedback from LNR, could transform ShoppingTown into a vibrant, mixed-used commercial powerhouse officials are excited to undertake. While I am not endorsing any specific redevelopment plan, I am urging LNR to make contact with DeWitt and work to support an option that would include redevelopment, an effort that would support Erie Boulevard as a whole and could help in courting other developers, restaurants or entertainment venues to the region. In the end, officials have communicated to me that even if LNR's plan for the mall is a re-sale to another buyer, regular communication with respect to those developments will allow the Town to plan accordingly.

Again, I hope LNR will work as a good corporate steward with the Town of Dewitt on making its plans for ShoppingTown public. Every day that goes by with more silence not only creates unease for budgets and officials in DeWitt, but LNR's silence could unintentionally impede the permanence of other tenants in ShoppingTown. Please feel free to contact my office should you have any questions regarding my request.

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