It\u2019s a New Roc pity.<\/p>\n
The 1.2 million-square-foot New Roc City shopping center was supposed to be the cornerstone of a revitalization of the long-neglected downtown in New Rochelle when it opened to great fanfare in 1999.<\/p>\n
Nearly three decades later, the mall is an eyesore in disrepair, with few tenants, fewer customers and occasional roving bands of rowdy young toughs that scare away shoppers and families. <\/p>\n
Several New Roc City escalators, elevators and exits were blocked or broken on Labor Day. James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just sucks,\u201d one New Roc retailer told The Post. \u201cIt was a really bad idea and it didn\u2019t work. They were trying to make it cool, but it just sucks. It\u2019s a pain in the ass.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew Roc City just sucks,\u201d he reiterated. \u201cIt\u2019s obviously been a big flop.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shopping center at 33 LeCount Place cost nearly $200 million to build, once boasting the county\u2019s first IMax movie theater, fitness and education businesses, and dining and recreation, including a thrill-ride called the Space Shot that drew families and youngsters.<\/p>\n
New Roc City in New Rochelle was open for business on Labor Day, but was largely abandoned. James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
New Roc City is pictured on Labor Day. Several of the storefronts remain vacant after COVID, James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
Yet, over the years the mall\u2019s design and location spelled doom.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew Roc City was supposed to be the ultimate hangout spot for friends, couples and single people,\u201d said DC Andino, a county resident who once took classes at a Monroe College campus nearby. \u201cBut now it\u2019s dead. I grew up coming here and it used to be so lively. Now, it\u2019s all dim and dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community leaders said several factors played a role in the mall\u2019s decline, including an enclosed design, changes in entertainment and shopping trends, and a shift in New Rochelle\u2019s downtown redevelopment strategy, which focused on luring New York City commuters who don\u2019t frequent local haunts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like Oz, and Oz isn\u2019t real,\u201d Jim Killoran, a longtime New Rochelle activist and executive director of the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater New York City, said of the mall. \u201cAnd who\u2019s the wizard?<\/p>\n
New Roc City in New Rochelle is suffering from abandoned stores, disrepair and safety concerns. . James Messerschmidt for NY Post<\/p>\n
Community leaders said New Rochelle\u2019s downtown revitalization has left New Roc City in the dark. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a mall next to a main street, and they call themselves separate,\u201d Killoran said. \u201cThere\u2019s New Roc City and then there\u2019s the rest of us. You don\u2019t have people saying, \u2018Hey, let\u2019s go to New Roc tonight.\u2019 It\u2019s antithetical to a successful project. It\u2019s like a whole different world to downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n
Security and safety has been another concern, with several disturbing incidents in recent years despite a New Rochelle police outpost inside the shopping center. <\/p>\n