Empire Outlets
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | BFC Partners |
| Headquarters | Staten Island, New York City , United States |
Area served | New York City |
| Products | Outlet retail stores |
| Parent | Empire Outlets Builders, LLC (Economic Development Corporation) |
Empire Outlets New York City is a retail destination encompassing approximately 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) situated in the St. George area of Staten Island, New York City. Construction commenced in 2015, with the official opening occurring on May 15, 2019. While initial projections anticipated accommodating 100 retail outlets, the actual space supports roughly 70 stores, of which fewer than half are presently occupied. This development holds the distinction of being New York City’s inaugural outlet mall. It is strategically positioned adjacent to St. George Terminal, a key transportation hub serving ferry, rail, and bus lines.
Facilities
Covering around 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2), this mall represents the city’s first outlet shopping center.[1] The original approved design included 100 designer outlet shops alongside a 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m2) hotel featuring 200 guest rooms.[2] Additionally, the property boasts approximately 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) of outdoor areas, including a staircase that provides access to a green rooftop space. Amenities within the complex include an underground parking facility with 1,200 spaces, complemented by 22 escalators and 21 elevators. As of July 2018, major tenants occupying substantial leases comprised brands such as H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Levi's, Nike Factory Store, and Banana Republic and Old Navy—both subsidiaries of Gap Inc.[1]
Empire Outlets is situated between St. George Terminal and SIUH Community Park.[2][3] The mall lies next to the planned location for the New York Wheel—a proposed giant Ferris wheel standing 625-foot (190.5 m) tall—which was ultimately canceled in 2018.[4] Although both the outlet mall and the New York Wheel underwent approval processes concurrently and shared consultants on matters like traffic management and waterfront development, they remained distinct projects with separate financing sources.[5][6]
Development
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The construction of Empire Outlets commenced in 2015.[1] This project was developed by BFC Partners, a Brooklyn-based company, under the guidance of an Economic Development Corporation known as Empire Outlets Builders, LLC.[2] The architectural design was created by SHoP Architects, while DeSimone Consulting Engineers handled the structural engineering. Leasing responsibilities were managed by Casandra Properties and EB.[7]
Initially, the mall was slated to open in fall 2017. However, early in 2017, the launch was postponed to March 2018 to align with the anticipated debut of the New York Wheel.[8] Later that year, the opening was pushed back once more to late 2018.[9] By mid-2018, the mall was nearing completion and planned to open in November.[1] Nonetheless, in September of that year, the debut was delayed again until spring 2019.[10] Ultimately, the grand opening was scheduled for May 15, 2019.[11][12]
Operation
Although the official grand opening took place on May 15, most retailers launched their operations gradually throughout mid-2019. By November of that year, Empire Outlets housed thirty active stores and had attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. International tourists accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total spending at the mall, contributing to an almost 50% rise in international expenditure on Staten Island. Plans for a 600-seat beer garden and a food market were anticipated to further boost visitor numbers when they were scheduled to open in early 2020; however, these amenities never came to fruition. By the end of 2020, Empire Outlets faced difficulties in meeting its loan repayment obligations.
In February 2022, the mall entered foreclosure proceedings, carrying debts of $38 million owed to Sterling National Bank and $174 million to Goldman Sachs' Urban Investment Group. These foreclosure actions persisted into mid-2023, during which time the complex remained approximately 60 percent unoccupied. A foreclosure auction was arranged for September 2023. At this auction held on September 21, Goldman Sachs purchased Empire Outlets for $10 million.
On September 10, 2024, it was announced that Nordstrom Rack would cease operations at its Empire Outlets location on December 4, 2024.
Ferry dock
In January 2019, NYC Ferry revealed plans to launch its St. George route in 2020. This service officially began in 2021, connecting the St. George Terminal with both the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal and the West Midtown Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. Initially, there were concerns that the large vessels of the Staten Island Ferry and the smaller NYC Ferry boats might face challenges sharing a single dock. As a result, in January 2020, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced that a dedicated NYC Ferry dock would be constructed near the existing terminal, specifically at Empire Outlets adjacent to SIUH Community Park. The St. George ferry stop commenced operations in August 2021.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Schram, Lauren Elkies (July 20, 2018). "Empire Outlets: The Biggest Thing to Hit SI Is Opening This November". Commercial Observer. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbloomberg20120927 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsilive201304 - ↑ McGeehan, Patrick (October 23, 2018). "A 630-Foot Ferris Wheel Meant to Boost Staten Island's Image Is No More".
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedny1.186075 - ↑ Lavis, Ryan (August 1, 2013). "Empire Outlet developers says they'll deliver jobs for Staten Island (photos and video)". SILive.com. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ Porpora, Tracey (March 27, 2017). "Empire Outlets may delay opening to coincide with NY Wheel launch". SILive.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ↑ Porpora, Tracey (November 27, 2017). "Exclusive: Empire Outlets opening delayed until fall 2018". SILive.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ↑ Porpora, Tracey (September 21, 2018). "Exclusive: Empire Outlets opening delayed until spring 2019". silive.com. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ↑ Farinacci, Amanda (May 10, 2019). "Even Without Wheel, Empire Outlets Ready to Roll". www.ny1.com. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- ↑ Porpora, Tracey (2019-05-10). "Exclusive: Sneak peek of Empire Outlets: Here's the list of stores opening in May". silive.com. Retrieved 2019-05-14.