VICTOR, N.Y. – The Town of Victor is using eminent domain to acquire the empty Lord and Taylor box store at Eastview Mall. The store, which anchored the west side of the mall, has been empty for four years.
“Having an empty store like this, 90,000 square feet, doesn’t do us any good,” said Jack Marren, Victor Town Supervisor.
The town filed an eminent domain petition last Friday to acquire the building. The petition says it’s necessary to “avoid further economic deterioration” in this part of the mall which “may face spiraling vacancy rates.” Today, there were only two open stores on the short Lord and Taylor wing.
The mall owner, Wilmorite, emailed “Wilmorite appreciates the Town of Victor taking a leadership role to bring back to life the Lord & Taylor building generating critical floor traffic for Eastview Mall. The current owners of the Lord & Taylor building have their hands full with a national portfolio of properties and have not shown a priority for redevelopment of the Victor property. By taking the Lord & Taylor property, a redevelopment can occur without awaiting out of town holders of this asset.”
In February, the Victor Planning Board saw designs for a four-story hotel in the Lord and Taylor parking lot. The lawyer for the store owner, Hudson Bay Company, objected.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Has the Hudson Bay company been fighting you on this?”
Jack Marren: “Any time, our communication from the Hudson Bay Company has been some legal step they’ve taken to try to secure the property they own.”
Berkeley Brean: “Would acquiring this parcel, this building help the hotel project move along?”
Jack Marren: “Oh absolutely.”
According to the court documents and petition, the town has been trying to acquire this property for at least the last two years. The lawyer for the Hudson Bay Company did not reply to our email today.
There hasn’t been a single sales tax dollar generated from that building in four years. The petition talks about another business going in and building a community or recreation center in all or part of the building.
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