Smith Haven Mall's Sears To Become Stony Brook Medical Offices

LAKE GROVE, NY—In a sign of a changing Long Island mall landscape, a closed Sears in the Smith Haven Mall will soon have a new occupant: medical offices. Sears closed in the spring of 2020, part of a wave of department store closures nationwide. There are no Sears stores left on Long Island.

Now Stony Brook University Hospital has announced that they are planning a new patient care center in the space. Stony Brook Medicine’s Clinical Practice Management Plan will offer outpatient services in the former retail space, like doctors' offices, non-cancer infusions and pain management facilities.

In a recent statement, the hospital said the center will open in late spring.

As online shopping continues to replace brick-and-mortar retailers, and malls continue to suffer from a decline in foot traffic, some malls are looking to diversify their tenants. The most recent vacancy rate for the Smith Haven Mall, in December of 2020, was reported as 11.8%.

More restaurants, like an upcoming Ruth's Chris Steak House, have opened in the mall to bridge the gap left by the anchor department stores and retailers closing.

The last Sears on Long Island, in Massapequa, closed its doors last month.

What do you think the future of Long Island malls will be? Tell us in the comments.