Developers released plans for the former Medley Centre mall in Irondequoit on Tuesday morning. The team of Angelo Ingrassia, Frank Perticone and Robert Morgan announced Phase one of the long vacant property, which they are calling Skyview on the Ridge.
Work will begin this fall, with plans to make the former mall into a space that can be adapted for whatever a company needs, in what is known as “flex space.”
Ingrassia says that “the community has waited long enough for this eyesore to be turned into something Irondequoit can be proud of…we’ve given it a different name and have a new concept to market this to local and national companies needing flexible work environments.”
The name “Skyview” refers to the natural lighting created by all of the windows in the former mall and an expansive glass roof.
Ingrassia says the building can combine office space, room for light assembly, distribution and warehousing all in one location.
Ingrassia has also talked with town leaders to locate a community center inside the complex, on the lower level near the former food court. Town Supervisor Dave Seeley says he looks forward to see the project move forward. Negotiations continue with the town.
"The fact that our town has become so synonymous with this one million square foot albatross that has been nothing but a broken promise after a broken promise, there's a little bit of a sting I think in people."
Seeley said the town is looking forward to the opportunity to bring business and jobs into Irondequoit, since they've always been a "bedroom community."
"You wake up in the morning, you leave your house, you drive to another community to go to work and you come back. We've never really been a major employer here, there was no industrial core here. So I think the opportunity for Irondequoit to play a role in the region's economy and maybe the transformation of the region's economy, that's exciting for us as well."
The developers estimate the Phase One renovations will take 12 – 18 months to complete at a cost of $11.4 million. The developers have applied for state assistance which they say is a critical component for the project’s success.
In addition to announcing plans for the former Medley Centre, the developers also began demolition of the former Irondequoit Dodge car dealership on East Ridge Road. No official comment was made on what exactly is coming to that lot, but Seeley says it is something that the town will enjoy.
Ingrassia says the intent is to surround Medley Centre with businesses that feed into the lifestyle patterns of future employees who may be working for companies inside the former mall complex.
