Over the weekend, the Ridge Hill complex in Yonkers invited people to experience its newly renovated Town Square, where there were activities, entertainment and a tree lighting for the holidays complete with an appearance by Santa. This followed the Nov. 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked completion of the expanded 25,000-square-foot Town Square space.
According to Ridge Hill, Town Square will now be the property’s main entertainment hub, playing host to more than 100 events each year. Approximately 10,000 square feet was added to the Town Square layout in the expansion.
The enhanced Town Square features a turfed event plaza, covered performance stage, 18 feet by 11 feet LED screen for outdoor movies, live sports and other visual presentations, café tables and seating, landscaping, a playground known as Big Girl, and a retail shop that will soon house New York City-founded Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Last April, a groundbreaking event signified the beginning of a multi-phased redevelopment project. Construction began in the area known as Park Plaza with the conversion of a defunct fountain into a family-friendly activity zone, complete with greenery, café tables and seating, and a turfed kids’ play area. The remodeling also includes modifying the surrounding building facades and creating additional space for adjacent restaurants to add patios that spill out into the lounge area. The revitalized Park Plaza was unveiled in October.
To accommodate Town Square’s 10,000-square-foot extension, Second Street has been changed and a pedestrian-only thoroughfare feeds into the gathering space. The enhanced Town Square features: a turfed event plaza; covered performance stage; an LED screen measuring 18 feet by 11 feet for outdoor movies, live sports and other presentations; café tables and seating; landscaping; the playground known as Big Girl; and a retail shop that will soon house Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
The next phase of redevelopment at Ridge Hill involving reconfiguration of the former Lord & Taylor department store is expected to begin early next year.
Joint venture partners North American Properties, Nuveen Real Estate, and Taconic Partners acquired Ridge Hill in May 2022. Jamestown, a real estate investment manager and service provider, has become an investor in Ridge Hill.
Project Executive Kevin Polston of Jamestown said, “It’s hard to believe the first phase of our vision for reinvesting in Ridge Hill has already been realized, which is a testament to our partners and all the hard-working teams that came together to deliver these beautiful new spaces in just seven months.”
