Palisades Center Owners Sue Clarkstown Over Expansion Plans

The owners of the Palisades Center want to expand the giant mall, to about 2.1 million square feet from the current 1.8 million.

Saying that they've been trying for years to work with Clarkstown town officials to get around a 20-year-old agreement that requires residents to approve any expansion, EklecCo NewCo filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

"The people of Clarkstown must have a voice and a vote on the expansion of the Palisades mall," said Town Supervisor George Hoehmann in response to the suit. "EklecCo agreed to this process and are now trying to block our residents from their right to vote on the mall's expansion. I will continue to fight for our residents' right to be heard on this expansion and am confident this case will be resolved in Clarkstown's favor."

The owners want the covenant erased so they can go straight to the Planning Board and skip a referendum process asking town residents to approve mall expansion.

The mall owners said they feel the courts will agree that the covenant is illegally restrictive, according to The Journal News. The extra retail space was actually built in originally and blocked off, TJN reported. Asked in 2002 to approve opening up the expansion, voters said "no."

The folks at the Clarkstown: What they don't want you to know Facebook page aren't happy that Clarkstown residents already shoulder the burden of services for the mall and will now be paying for the cost of the suit. They quoted Town Attorney Lino Sciarretta:

"Twenty years ago EklecCo agreed to a process and acquiesced to that public process," Town Attorney Sciarretta said. "Rather than follow that process they elected to enter litigation."

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