Old Navy, Sunglass Hut, RS Vault Coming To Green Acres Mall

VALLEY STREAM, NY. — The Green Acres Mall is set to get a trio of new tenants this year thanks to a trio of leases signed and approved in January. The Town of Hempstead’s Industrial Development Agency approved the tenancy of Old Navy, Sunglass Hut and RS Vault at its Jan. 27 meeting, clearing the way for the three retailers to set up shop.

The Old Navy retail space is the largest of the three, with 21,050 square feet set to be staffed by eight full-time and 38 part-time employees, who officials say will earn $21.73 per hour on average. Meanwhile, the 2,000 square-foot RS Vault location will be staffed by a combination of either full-time or part-time employees, which IDA officials said would equate to 1.5 full-time employees at an estimated payroll of $70,000. Finally, the Sunglass Hut location will fill 780 square feet of the mall, with 21 employees and estimated quarterly wages of $205,612.

The new tenants are part of a $100 million renovation and expansion effort at the mall, IDA officials said, with an additional 370,000 square feet being added to its footprint to “elevate its appearance and attract higher-end stores.” The mall will remain open during construction, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

“This step is a natural progression of our long-term vision to transform Green Acres into a dynamic destination that honors its legacy while embracing the future,” Green Acres general manager Joe Floccari said in a statement.

Patch previously reported that the mall employed 2,472 people in 2024 and 2,537 in 2023. In 2024, the IDA gave a five-year extension to 2014 Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreements signed by the mall and its adjacent power center, Green Acres Commons, which required that the mall stay above 2,400 employees. In a statement Tuesday, the IDA said that 21 new leases had been signed at the mall since that 2024 PILOT extension was given, bringing 424 new full-time-equivalent jobs to the mall.

Last year, tenants including Cheesecake Factory, Panda Express, Shake Shack and Dave’s Hot Chicken signed on to lease space at Green Acres.

“These new leases continue to bring diversity to the retail offerings available at Green Aces and many new jobs, which will contribute to the long-term success of the shopping center,” IDA CEO and executive director Fred Parola said.