In the early 1990’s retailing options for residents of northern Westchester were limited. The area, especially the northwestern towns of Cortlandt and Yorktown were growing rapidly, as were the smaller villages and the City of Peekskill. Areas to the north in Putnam County also depended on northern Westchester for shopping and services. These areas, particularly Putnam Valley were also growing. The times also saw rapid change in the retailing environment, particularly in the areas of home improvement, groceries, apparel and discount merchandise.

The Westchester Mall was a community shopping center anchored by an A&P supermarket located along Route 6 in the town of Cortlandt. Underperforming discount variety store and home improvements store anchors had vacated the center leaving the interior portions of the mall almost entirely vacant. The Jefferson Valley Mall and other retailing in Yorktown to the east, nearer a major parkway, were viewed as the logical places to accommodate future growth. In the early 1990’s CBL and Associates acquired the property with the intention of restoring the vitality of the center and expanding the retail options for the growing surrounding area population.

With the large amount of retail vacancies at the mall, the failure and closure of many long-time retailers and overall economic conditions there was skepticism about the ability of the surrounding community to support the number and variety of stores that were being planned for. The Cortlandt Town Center plan more than tripled the amount of space at the center, and all in an unproven mixed format of small, medium and large retailers with no defined anchors as was typically seen in similar centers at the time.

In addition to preparing environmental documentation for the project Mr. Lynch prepared the market study and provided testimony as part of the environmental review completed by the Town of Cortlandt Planning Board.