Not a day goes by that Liz Pollack — senior manager, marketing, Cross County Center in Yonkers — doesn’t hear about what the center
has meant to tristate area residents:
“I was born in Cross County Hospital.”
“My mom worked in Wanamaker’s.”
“I had my first job at Sam Goody’s.”
“I learned to drive in the parking lot.”
Since the shopping center opened on April 28, 1954, it has been many things to many different people. And despite the advent of online retail and Covid, it continues to supply shoppers with new experiences and memories, attracting more than 11 million people annually to its 1.165 million-square-foot complex at the intersection of Cross County Parkway and I-87.
To borrow from Mark Twain, reports of the death of in-person retail have been greatly exaggerated.
“Absolutely,” Pollack says. “There’s life in brick-and-mortar (stores).”
Sustaining that life means keeping the center, owned by Marx Realty and Benenson Capital Partners, up to date with a new logo of concentric Cs and name — shortened from Cross County Shopping Center — along with new and refreshed stores and restaurants, plus entertainment and outdoor experiences. On March 4, the center broke ground on a 132,000-square-foot Target, the first in Yonkers. It is scheduled to open mid-2022 on the first and second levels of the former Sears footprint, with the third level occupied by other stores yet to be announced.
H&M — a Swedish multinational clothing, home goods and kids’ store that’s had a presence at the center since 2009 — recently signed a 10-year renewal to occupy 28,000 square feet. The space reopened in May with a $5 million makeover in keeping with the leisurely, lounge-like vibe of its SoHo store.
A/X Armani Exchange — a casual sub-brand of Armani for men and women — has also undergone a facelift and is slated to reopen in the first quarter of next year. Express, too, with its fashion forward looks for young people, has been remodeled inside and out, just in time for the holiday season.
All this shopping — Cross County has more than 80 stores, including Macy’s, Pandora jewelry and the first Zara in Westchester County — works up an appetite, which is no problem at a place that is home to the first Shake Shack in the county as well.
Five Guys — which focuses on fast food like burghers, hot dogs and fries in a casual setting — will open next to Chipotle Mexican Grill early in the new year. And for dessert, there’s the Cookies n Cream kiosk, opening early December.
“The focus on food is important,” Pollack says, “as it encourages people to stay and shop.”
But shopping and eating — passions though they be — are just part of the Triple C experience, which has included outdoor screenings of such classics as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” (Movie lovers can also take advantage of Showcase Cinema de Lux Cross County. The multiplex, revamped in 2019, features reserved, reclining seating and a cocktail bar.)
Perhaps nowhere is Cross County’s outdoor experience more vibrant than at holiday time, with the center joining with Chabad of Yonkers near Macy’s for a Menorah Lighting to celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights — an event offering music, dancing and treats.
Shoppers can also enjoy the Pop-Up Holiday Ice Skating Rink; and the Holiday Food Truck Market with Abeetz Pizza, Crazy Taco Mex, Leila’s Crepes, Leila’s Empanadas, Mac’s Meatballs, Sloppie Joes and Waffle Box as well as new food carts with popcorn, cotton candy and hot chocolate near The Green in the mall’s center.
Sit a spell and enjoy your eats in style in the new pop-up igloos, available for one-hour sessions near Zara.
Of course, the big guy himself is on the scene. Santa’s Workshop follows Covid protocols, offering a special sensory photo op at 10 a.m. Dec. 5 and pet photos on Mondays.
“Our goal is to create a New York City winter village complete with a (more than) 40-foot-tall Christmas tree,” Pollack says.
Sounds like someone’s going to be making new memories.
Photos with Santa are available through Dec. 24. The rest of the holiday fun runs through Jan. 2. For more, visit crosscountycenter.com.
Growth in retail
Sales taxes grew more than 3% annually between 2012 and ’19.
The Cross County Shopping Center has expanded to 1.165 million square feet.
Stew Leonard’s Yonkers store is its most successful store, with more than one million shoppers a year.
— Supplied by the city of Yonkers
