Mixed-use properties proposed for former Sears site
Since 1964, Sears stood on North Broadway in Hicksville as a destination for both locals and out-of-towners to purchase everything from shoes to refrigerators. The department store and its nearby auto center serviced the area for more than 50 years until its closure this April. The iconic G. Hunter Jones mural, prominently featured in the retailer since 1966, depicted a historical map of Long Island and its notable residents, dates and events. Seritage Growth Properties oversaw the mural’s removal, restoration and relocation to the Town of Oyster Bay Hicksville Athletic Center. Now, the aforementioned company plans to turn the 26.3-acre Sears property into a retail and mixed-use complex.
Since its formation in 2015, Seritage acquired 266 Sears and Kmarts around the country. The real estate investment trust has been redeveloping these properties and now looks to transform the Hicksville site into a “mixed-use, transit-oriented development that combines modern rental apartments with new retail opportunities and public amenities.”
As of their most recent plan, the space will include 566 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments resting atop of retail. A 30,000-square-foot grocery store will sit on the corner of Nevada Street and Bay Avenue, a variety of restaurants will line North Broadway and a luxury movie theater will be the centerpieces of it all. About 2,200 parking spaces will be located beneath and surrounding the 10 proposed buildings; there are currently no plans to build an above-ground parking garage. TD Bank and Chipotle will remain in their current spaces, unaffected by the redevelopment aside from some landscaping. There will also be 5 acres of green space, complete with bike paths, pedestrian walkways and landscaped traffic circles.
“When we looked at 266 [redevelopment] opportunities around the country, we really had a handful that we thought were super special and this is one of them,” said executive vice president Jamie Bry, who is in charge of development and construction for Seritage. “[The Hicksville property is] transit-oriented and its right for the community. We think what we’re doing is very much in line with what [the town is] trying to do…It will spur the downtown revitalization.”
Bry stated that a goal of the project is to make it a “very walkable” destination that visitors will want to linger in rather than come for one thing and leave. It also is intended to appeal to local businesses looking to set up offices, with the added bonus of having retail and food in the same area. With the proximity to the Hicksville train station, the plan also includes a shuttle service to and from the complex—available for use by both apartment residents and the public.
Final environmental impact statements, zoning changes and various other statements await official submittal and approval. Public hearings will be held for residents to voice their concerns.
