Broadway Commons owner seeks Oyster Bay Town approvals for renovated mall

A long-awaited $200 million redevelopment of the former Broadway Mall in Hicksville inched closer to reality Tuesday after its owners pitched an open-air shopping center to the Oyster Bay Town Board, which is required to provide key approvals.

Under the plan, the mall now known as Broadway Commons would be converted to The Shops on Broadway, complete with a new BJ’s Wholesale, open space for customers and numerous new businesses, restaurants and stores. A vacant Macy's department store would be demolished, and retail space on both sides of the former store would also be razed — part of an effort to make more open space for customers. 

The board considered the plan Tuesday morning during a public meeting that drew supporters of the mall renovation.

“This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revitalize this important community asset and secure its future as the retail, dining and entertainment centerpiece of the Hicksville community,” said Bram Weber, an attorney representing K/BTF Broadway LLC, the property owner.

The town hearing was a required step in the approval process. The Oyster Bay Town Board still has to vote on the site plan, along with special use permits to establish a gas station and for indoor recreation use, Weber said.

It is not clear when the town will vote on the plan. The town is accepting public comment for 20 days.

The owner of the site requires a parking variance to proceed.

Currently, the mall has 4,848 parking spots, but town code requires 8,315 spots there based on the new application. The proposal includes 4,092 spaces. Civic leaders said they have had no reports of parking issues at the mall, even during peak times.

Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino asked if the owner would be open to renting off-site lots for additional parking, if needed. Weber said the owner would be open if parking became an issue.

The projected cost of the redevelopment has swelled to $200 million, double the initial projection, Weber said in a phone interview after the meeting. He said the ownership group hopes it can wrap up approvals by the end of the year so construction can begin in 2027. 

Phil Heckler, of the Hicksville Gardens Civic Association, said there have been "nothing but favorable reviews" for the proposal.

Charles Razenson, president of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce, said the upgrades will make the area a destination.

“We want to see dollars being spent,” Razenson said.

Vision Long Island Director Eric Alexander said the community "weighed in early and often" on the proposal and said it is the first time his organization has overtly supported a mall proposal.

"It's a great draw," said Alexander, who said the plan would bring "the mall back to life."

K/BTF Broadway LLC, a real estate partnership, bought the shopping mall in February 2024.

The Broadway Commons Mall has struggled for years with high vacancy rates exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Macy’s closed its 300,000-square-foot retail space in 2020, and Old Navy’s 17,000-square-foot location closed in 2023.

The renovation is part of a yearslong process to revitalize Hicksville. The Town of Oyster Bay is building a reimagined area around the hamlet’s train station that is set to be surrounded by a string of new mixed-use developments.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ