Please join the staff at Rotterdam Square , and the Chamber of Schenectady County for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 11 a.m.
Rotterdam Square is proud to unveil their new soft seating area and food court renovation. It's a perfect place for shoppers to enjoy a bright open atmosphere while utilizing free public Wi-Fi and relaxing seating options.
Stop in to win great prizes, enjoy complimentary refreshments and network.
I haven't been inside the mall in months. I will run into Sears or Macy's but haven't actually walked through the mall. I didn't realize they were doing a renovation to the food court. I didn't realize that a food court renovation would be so major that it would require a ribbon cutting ceremony. I will be at work at 11 am on a Thursday, so I won't be able to attend.
I'll be down at the Capitol protesting against high gas prices. I took the day off specifically for that. Actually, I guess it's probably what they have in mind for the area that included the 4 stores right in the middle of the walkway, used to be the cell phone store, the jewelry store, the cajun food and the little convenience store. They've all been moved to different locations to open up this area. I never thought that Rotterdam Square would try to put in something classy like this...not that I think it will last long, but now I can see why they booted those 4 stores from that center area. It'll be the first thing that you realize coming from the mall to the food court.
It looks nice for the mall that is, and the wife enjoys it too when she goes for the walks there. Were there politicians there to cut ribbons? Susie Savage maybe?
I went to the mall today and saw the new and improved food court. It looks so big compared to before. And Kevin, you are right. They took the center businesses out, relocated them and put couches and chairs in their place. There were actually some people sitting there reading books and magazines. It really has enlarged the area.
ROTTERDAM Mall aims to better integrate with community BY JAMES SCHLETT Gazette Reporter
The Rotterdam Square mall’s new California owner is making changes at the mall in an effort to become “a community partner.” The Santa Monica, Calif.-based Macerich Co.’s latest change at the mall, which opened two decades ago, comes in the form of a new lounge at the food court. The 675-square-foot carpeted lounge features free Wi-Fi access plus soft seating and couches. To create that public space, Macerich had to transform a 1,930-square-foot island housing four retail stores. The retailers relocated to storefront or kiosk locations. The island’s demolition also opened 1,260 square feet of space, which will primarily be used by kiosks during the holiday season. The lounge project follows the redevelopment of Rotterdam Square’s bathrooms last year. More shopper amenity upgrades are planned. “We are a dedicated community center, and we want to strengthen our place in the community,” said Tonya Harman, Rotterdam Square’s senior manager of property management. A grand opening for the lounge is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday. Macerich acquired Rotterdam Square and Wilton Mall in 2005 from Wilmorite Properties in Rochester. Over the next two years, Macerich plans to develop at the Rotterdam mall an approximately 3,000-square-foot community center that businesses and community groups could use. Also in the pipeline are family bathrooms and a children’s soft play area similar to the one Macerich built last year at Wilton Mall, Harman said. The play area likely will be built where the mall’s carousel stood before Macerich sold it last year. So far, Macerich’s endeavors to establish stronger bonds appear to be paying off. In April, the Chamber of Schenectady County cosponsored a county job fair at the mall. The mall earlier this month also sent volunteers to help the chamber with its annual golf classic at the Stadium Golf Club. “Since Macerich purchased Rotterdam Square, I’ve noticed a very increased focus on community partnerships,” said Leesa Pagan, chamber director of work force development and public affairs. The renovations at the 583,000-square-foot Rotterdam Square mall are smaller in scale compared to those at the 745,000-square-foot Wilton Mall. The Wilton shopping center saw its J.C. Penney store relocate within the mall in August to a location 65 percent larger than its previous space. Harman said such a large expansion is not planned for Rotterdam Square because it does not have the available space Wilton Mall had. By the end of 2007, Rotterdam Square was 90 percent occupied. “We are striving to make these changes not so we can become a retail destination but also a community partner,” said Becky Valenti, the marketing manager of Rotterdam Square and Wilton Mall.
Posted on: 06/27/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
Louise Paypach, left, and Anna Mae Sobieski take a break from their shopping in Rotterdam Square Mall’s new soft seating lounge on Thursday, June 19. (Ross Marvin/Spotlight) Louise Paypach and her friend Anna Mae Sobieski are frequent customers at the Rotterdam Square Mall.
The two senior citizens like walking the halls of the mall for exercise and often search for sales at its several departments stores.
But after a few hours of shopping, both Paypach and Sobieski like to take a break.
Now, with the mall’s recent construction of a new 675-square-foot, soft-seated lounge in its food court, both Paypach and Sobieski can rest on comfortable couches and lush armchairs.
“This should have happened a long time ago,” said Paypach during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new lounge on Thursday, June 19. “It’s a great place to rest and it should help bring people down here.”
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based Macerich Co., which purchased the mall in 2005 from Wilmorite Properties, hopes Paypach is right.
Tonya Harman, Rotterdam Square’s senior manager of property management, said the updated lounge is both an effort by the mall to be more community friendly and to change with the times. She noted that the carpeted lounge also features free Wi-Fi access that could be used for local business meetings or for shoppers who carry their laptops in tow.
In order to create the lounge, the mall had to demolish a 1,930-square-foot island that housed four retailers.
Harman said all four retailers have been moved to storefronts or kiosks in the mall.
In addition to the creation of a public seating area, the project has opened 1,220 square feet of additional space that mall officials said could be used as additional kiosk space during holiday shopping months.
Last year, Macerich also upgraded the mall’s bathrooms. According to Harman, more projects are in the pipeline, including a proposed community center, which could be built where the carousel stood before it was sold last year.
Rebecca Valenti, Rotterdam Square’s marketing manager, said that Macerich is also considering the installation of a children’s soft-play area and the construction of family bathrooms.
“It’s not just a retail destination,” said Valenti. “We want to be a community partner.”
Leesa Pagan, director of work-force development and public affairs for the Chamber of Schenectady County, said she’s noticed a marked difference in the mall’s role as a community member since Macerich took ownership three years ago.
Pagan said that earlier this year, the Chamber co-sponsored a county job fair at the mall. She also noted that mall officials helped volunteer at the Chamber’s annual golf tournament at the Stadium Golf Club earlier this month.
“Macerich has gone above and beyond where the average company would go,” said Pagan. “They’ve taken valuable retail space and turned it into a lounge to ensure a comfortable shopping experience”
Valenti said the mall is always open to the possibility of adding more retail stores, but said there were no plans for a physical expansion of the 583,000-sqaure-foot building.
“We’re currently at 90 percent retail capacity,” said Valenti.
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based Macerich Co.’s latest change at the mall, which opened two decades ago, comes in the form of a new lounge at the food court. The 675-square-foot carpeted lounge features free Wi-Fi access plus soft seating and couches. To create that public space, Macerich had to transform a 1,930-square-foot island housing four retail stores. The retailers relocated to storefront or kiosk locations. The island’s demolition also opened 1,260 square feet of space, which will primarily be used by kiosks during the holiday season.
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Over the next two years, Macerich plans to develop at the Rotterdam mall an approximately 3,000-square-foot community center that businesses and community groups could use. Also in the pipeline are family bathrooms and a children’s soft play area similar to the one Macerich built last year at Wilton Mall
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“We are a dedicated community center, and we want to strengthen our place in the community,” said Tonya Harman, Rotterdam Square’s senior manager of property management.
These changes by the new owners of Rotterdam Mall may make the environment more public friendly. However, I question their decision from a business stance. They converted ~2000 square feet of retail space for which they received revenue to a lounge which generates no direct revenue. How will they recoup the lost revenues? Will the lease costs increase and drive existing merchants out?
I also have concerns about the proposed 3,000 square foot community center. There was a public facility, I believe a youth center, at the Clifton Country Mall some years ago. I don't know if it's still in existence. Parents would drop their kids off at the mall. The colocation of youth center led to unruly and unsafe behavior, fights, shoplifting, loitering, etc. If the new owners want to become a partner in the community and provide services to the public that are supportive of their business objectives, I would propose that the community center be housed in a separate building on the site. At a minimum, the entrance to the center should be from the outside. There should be no direct access to the mall.
There is a fine balance between being a successful investor and a good community partner. The mall ownership must keep the store lease prices stable and provide additional security if they wish to transform the mall to a more upscale shopping establishment.
Consider this, why haven't many of us frequented the Rotterdam Square Mall when it is in our backyard? Why have we shopped, instead, at Crossgates, Colonie Center, and Wilton? It is for the "comfy counches"? My issue with the Rotterdam Mall has been the absence of visible security on Friday and Saturday nights and a lack of diversity of product offerings by the merchants.
Bottom line, so long as there are no public (i.e., tax) revenues invested, it is a business decision to be made by a private corporation that will prosper or fail based on those decisions.
Over the next two years, Macerich plans to develop at the Rotterdam mall an approximately 3,000-square-foot community center that businesses and community groups could use. Also in the pipeline are family bathrooms and a children’s soft play area similar to the one Macerich built last year at Wilton Mall
I would guess this means an 'addition' to the already existing mall structure. If that is the case, the aquifer 'again' needs to be taken into consideration. The aquifer has been abused unnecessarily as it is. The aquifer should be the first thing taken into consideration before a 'not needed' community center is even thought of.
And yes Wilton had it's share of problems with their 'community center'. I don't think that a community center will best serve Rotterdam. Rotterdam has many 'family friendly' organizations and businesses. There is the 'Y' on Curry Road, Rollarama, Ferrarra's dance, Towne Bowling, Little league, soccer, pop warner, boy scouts, girl scouts, school functions, church functions and parks. (I'm sure I'm leaving something out here) And these are productive, socially interactive functions. A community center described by Macerich, will clearly just become a troublesome 'hang-out'.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I agree about the "hang out." The problem would be that it wouldn't be town residents who take advantage of it most likely. As bumble pointed out, there's already a lot of organizations, events, etc, that already eist here. It would just become a "day care center" for people outside of the town.
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