Westchester’s Ridge Hill shopping center”™s plight in filling its 975,000 square feet of retail space has been a rather well-documented one. Nearby competition, the exit stages of a recession, and bribery and corruption charges tied to the center”™s development made for a slow arrival of tenants after Ridge Hill opened for business in 2011.
Now, the town-like shopping center in the foothills of north Yonkers has reached a pivotal benchmark in its development, according to Kathy Welch, executive vice president for retail development at Forest City Ratner Cos., Ridge Hill”™s developer. With the recent opening of 5 Napkin restaurant, Welch said the center has now reached 80 percent capacity.
“We left retail spaces open specifically so when we reached this point with over 80 percent sales occupancy we could start to bring in the latest and greatest tenants,” Welch said. “We”™re very excited to lease the last 20 percent.”
- Westchester’s Ridge Hill shopping center in Yonkers has 50 retail tenants in operation. Photo by Evan Fallor
That last 20 percent, she said, will go toward a new anchor tenant ”“ the upscale center currently has six ”“ as well as smaller retail tenants. In November, it was announced that eight new tenants would open their doors by the end of 2015.
The Container Store is scheduled to open a 25,000-square-foot space Aug. 15 adjacent to Whole Foods Market on Ridge Hill”™s south end. The center recently signed a deal with stationery and greeting card chain Papyrus, which is expected to open a shop in September. An Ann Taylor Loft store is also under construction.
Welch said the developer is close to signing a deal on another 25,000-square-foot parcel, but declined to specify the prospective tenant. “Parcel L,” a lofty vacant space south of Whole Foods Market, will likely serve as the landing spot for an anchor tenant the developer hopes to sign an agreement with by the end of the year.
If and when Ridge Hill reaches full capacity, Welch said, nearly 100 stores could occupy the 81-acre center overlooking the New York State Thruway.
“We were hit with a major recession and a major stall in the retail world,” Welch said. “We”™ve overcome that and we”™re stronger because of that. That”™s all behind us.”
- The Container Store is scheduled to open in August at Ridge Hill. Photo by Evan Fallor
Owned and managed by Brooklyn-based Forest City Ratner, the mixed-use Ridge Hill Shopping Center has 1.3 million square feet of combined retail, entertainment and residential space. The center also holds 160,000 square feet of office space and approximately 110,000 square feet of medical space owned by Westmed Medical Group.
Construction on the $700 million center, the largest such development in Yonkers”™ history, began in 2007. Because of the economic downturn, construction experienced several setbacks, with Ridge Hill eventually opening in 2011 at less than 20 percent capacity. The next year, former Yonkers Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and Yonkers Republican Chairman Zehy Jereis were convicted of corruption charges stemming from the site’s initial approval more than a half-decade earlier.
Now with 50 retail stores open and nine full-service restaurants, developers have turned their sights to making Ridge Hill a one-stop destination for families and young couples from Westchester and nearby New York City, who Welch said studies have proven make up a significant portion of visitorship.
Welch cited The Westchester in White Plains and the Cross County Shopping Center three and a half miles south in Yonkers as the center”™s most direct competition but said Ridge Hill has attempted to market itself to prospective tenants through its unique layout and location.
Ground was broken in May for iFly, an indoor skydiving facility geared toward both children and adults. Muse Paintbar, an art instruction bar that also opened a location in White Plains this year, said its Ridge Hill location will open next month.
- Angelo”™s Family Style Italian opened in June. Photo by Evan Fallor
“Because we”™re an outdoor location, we have the ability for families and couples to come and walk Main Street and do different things in one place,” Welch said. “Our leasing efforts revolve around that notion.”
The center”™s restaurants have been predominantly national chains, but 2015 has proven to be a year for more localized, regional eateries to arrive.
Angelo”™s Family Style Italian, a 300-seat family-style restaurant owned by brothers and restaurateurs George and Gillis Poll ”“ who own six other restaurants on Long Island ”“ opened on Ridge Hill”™s Town Square in June. Upscale eatery 5 Napkin, with four Manhattan restaurants, held its grand opening this month.
George Poll said the brothers’ first Westchester County location was chosen because of the ability to draw a unique brand of foot traffic.
“Ridge Hill is the kind of place where people go not only to shop but to dine and be entertained,” he said. “It”™s more like a small town with great shopping and restaurants.”
Shops at Ridge Hill come and go. For every one closed, a new one steps in, because they don’t do their research. See how “upscale” comes up again and again in the article? But go and see for yourself, what is upscale about Ridge Hill? It is a destination for low income population. Nothing wrong with that, but the shops and restaurants that come to Ridge Hill do not seem to understand the demographics. A restaurant that charges $25 a meal – always empty. Upscale clothing chains – people go there to try clothes on but they do not buy. Granted, people like to go to Ridge Hill to be entertained and kill time, but the place would have done so much better, if they tuned their ambitions down. The shops would do better if they looked up who will shop there. Angelo’s should have asked themselves why Brio Tuscan Grill closed at Ridge Hill. Ann Taylor should have asked themselves why Desigual closed. Container Store – where is the parking space for Container Store customers? Is the low income customer of Ridge Hill the target demographics of Container Store? Don’t blame the economy, blame the lack of common sense and corporate greed.
Whole foods & Apple seem to be doing fine. Nothing wrong with mixed demographics. Why would you go downmarket and compete with the mall 3 miles away? Business requires differentiation. It’s why people don’t blindly listen to their customers or we would all be doing really basic / banal things.