Century 21 to open in Green Acres

Shoppers at Valley Stream’s Green Acres Mall will soon have a new option. The mall announced that Century 21 Department Stores would open its newest location in the mall later this year.

“The strategic addition of Century 21 to Green Acres Mall is a game-changer for this property and a win for this iconic retailer,” said Ed Coppola, president of Macerich Co., in a statement announcing the new store. “Century 21, a New York-based retailer with a handful of very high volume locations, will draw highly sophisticated, brand-focused shoppers from the Five Towns and from an expanded Green Acres trade area.”

The new store will fill 70,000 square feet in the mall, and will stretch across two floors. It is expected to open in the fall of 2015. Coppola said the store would serve as an “anchor” for the mall, which Macerich acquired in January of 2013.

“Our vision for this property centers on increasing its appeal for nearby, upscale suburban shoppers while deepening the allure for savvy urban shoppers,” he said. “Adding Century 21 is a key step toward this future. We are very pleased they share our vision of the future potential of the property.”

Macerich ended leases in December on 18 smaller stores that had occupied the space that the department store will move into.

Raymond Gindi, chief executive officer of Century 21, said he’s looking forward to the move.

“We are thrilled to further our strategic expansion with a new store in the Green Acres Mall this coming fall,” he said. “The core of our business has always been to deliver value to our customers to live better, and making the unattainable, attainable through our longstanding relationships with luxury brands. The Green Acres Mall is an ideal location for us that will expose us to both an urban and suburban luxury-seeking shopper.”

This addition is not the only change coming to the mall, as Macerich announced a two-part, $162-million renovation earlier this year. The planned expansion calls for an $83-million upgrade to the seating areas, roofing, security systems and lighting of the existing mall. The addition also calls for nearby Sunrise Cinemas to be torn down and replaced with a new $83-million, 323,000 square foot retail facility.