Bay Plaza Shopping Center
A major shopping and entertainment complex on the south side of Co-op City in the Bronx, New York City.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Bay Plaza Shopping Center is a large retail, dining, entertainment, and office complex in the Bronx, New York City. It occupies a site between Bartow Avenue and Baychester Avenue, immediately south of Co-op City and near the Hutchinson River Parkway and Interstate 95. The complex is notable for combining an open-air shopping center developed in the late 1980s with a later enclosed fashion-mall expansion known as The Mall at Bay Plaza. The original center was constructed in 1987 and 1988 by Prestige Properties on land that had previously been used for Freedomland U.S.A., a short-lived amusement park that operated from 1960 to 1964. The retail development introduced department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment uses, and other services to a large, automobile-oriented site serving the northeastern Bronx and nearby communities. Over time, the center became one of New York City's largest shopping destinations and developed a tenant mix centered on national retail chains. The complex includes or has included major department-store anchors such as Macy's and JCPenney, as well as specialty retailers including Old Navy and H&M. It also offers a multiplex cinema, restaurants, a fitness club, food-service facilities, and office space. The center's positioning is primarily that of a regional shopping destination rather than a boutique retail district: it provides a broad range of apparel, household, personal, dining, and entertainment options in one location, supported by extensive surface and structured parking. A major expansion, The Mall at Bay Plaza, opened on August 14, 2014. The enclosed portion added approximately 780,000 square feet of retail space, more than 100 specialty stores, a food court, and a parking garage with capacity for about 1,800 vehicles. The expansion included a new three-level Macy's of approximately 160,000 square feet and was connected with the existing JCPenney anchor. H&M's opening represented the retailer's first store in the Bronx. The project expanded the overall shopping center to roughly two million square feet and was described as the first enclosed anchored fashion mall to open in the New York City area in nearly four decades. The 2014 project was designed by Altoon & Porter Architects, with Aurora Contractors serving as construction manager. Project materials cited approximately $65 million in construction expenditure, more than 2,000 construction jobs, and approximately 1,700 permanent jobs associated with the expansion. The completed complex reinforced Bay Plaza's role as a regional commercial hub for the Bronx and the wider New York metropolitan area. It remains an active shopping center, although its exact tenant roster and operating arrangements may change over time.
History
Bay Plaza Shopping Center occupies land on the south side of Co-op City in the Bronx, between Bartow and Baychester Avenues. Before its retail development, the site was associated with Freedomland U.S.A., a themed amusement park that operated from 1960 through 1964. The later conversion of the area into a large commercial complex reflected the importance of automobile-accessible retail in the northeastern Bronx and the demand generated by nearby residential communities. Prestige Properties constructed the original Bay Plaza Shopping Center during 1987 and 1988. The initial development was organized as a large shopping center containing department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment facilities, a fitness club, and office space. Its location near the Hutchinson River Parkway and Interstate 95 gave it regional accessibility beyond the immediately adjacent Co-op City neighborhood. The center developed a tenant mix dominated by national chains and became a significant retail destination in New York City. The original complex included major department-store anchors, notably Macy's and JCPenney, alongside retailers such as Old Navy. It also incorporated a multiplex movie theater and multiple dining options. The combination of anchors, specialty stores, services, and entertainment allowed Bay Plaza to function as more than a conventional strip center. According to descriptions of the property, several national retailers regarded their Bay Plaza stores as particularly strong performers on a sales-per-square-foot basis, although detailed financial data is not provided in the available reference material. The next major stage in the property's history was the development of The Mall at Bay Plaza. The expansion was conceived as an enclosed fashion mall and added approximately 780,000 square feet of space. It included more than 100 specialty stores, a food court, a new three-level Macy's of approximately 160,000 square feet, and a parking garage accommodating approximately 1,800 cars. The existing JCPenney, reported at approximately 150,000 square feet, served as another principal anchor. The Mall at Bay Plaza opened on August 14, 2014. Its opening was significant in the New York retail market because it was described as the first enclosed anchored fashion mall to open in the New York City area in almost 40 years, following Queens Center's 1973 opening. The project was designed by Los Angeles-based Altoon & Porter Architects, while Aurora Contractors, a New York-based firm, served as construction manager. Reference material associated with the project cites approximately $65 million in cost, more than 2,000 construction jobs, and around 1,700 permanent jobs. The expansion also broadened the center's brand mix. H&M opened a store described as its first in the Bronx, while the new Macy's increased the complex's department-store capacity. After completion, the overall Bay Plaza development was described as growing from approximately 1.3 million square feet to about 2 million square feet. The enlarged property combined the earlier open-air center with the new enclosed mall, creating one of New York City's largest shopping centers. Bay Plaza's continuing role is that of a regional commercial hub. Its offerings span apparel, department-store goods, food, restaurants, cinema, fitness, services, and office uses. Because retail tenants and ownership arrangements can change, the precise current store roster and corporate structure are not established by the available sources. The center itself is treated as active, with its identity anchored in its Bronx location, large scale, national tenant base, and connection to the Co-op City area.
- 2014
The Mall at Bay Plaza opens
[1]The enclosed expansion opened on August 14, adding approximately 780,000 square feet, over 100 specialty stores, department-store space, a food court, and a structured parking facility.
- 1988
Original Bay Plaza development is completed
[1]The original shopping center was constructed during 1987–1988 and established the large retail complex in the Bronx.
- 1987
Construction of the original shopping center begins
[1]Prestige Properties began constructing the original Bay Plaza Shopping Center on the former amusement-park site.
- 1960
Freedomland U.S.A. opens on the future Bay Plaza site
[1]The land later used for Bay Plaza was the site of Freedomland U.S.A., a themed amusement park that operated from 1960 to 1964.
Products and positioning
Large regional shopping, dining, entertainment, and services destination serving the Bronx and surrounding New York metropolitan communities.
Department stores
Department-store retail
Bay Plaza's department-store component has included Macy's and JCPenney. These anchors provide broad merchandise assortments spanning apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty products, seasonal merchandise, and other general retail categories. The 2014 expansion added a new three-level Macy's of approximately 160,000 square feet, while the existing JCPenney served as a substantial anchor of approximately 150,000 square feet.
Apparel and specialty stores · 2014
Specialty retail
The center contains a broad specialty-retail offer focused on clothing, accessories, beauty, personal goods, and lifestyle merchandise. The enclosed Mall at Bay Plaza added more than 100 specialty stores, strengthening the complex's role as a fashion and everyday-shopping destination. Referenced tenants include Old Navy and H&M, alongside other national chains whose presence may change over time.
Restaurants and food court · 2014
Dining and food service
Bay Plaza combines standalone restaurants and food-service businesses with a food court in the enclosed mall. The dining offer supports both routine visits and longer shopping trips, complementing the center's retail, cinema, and service uses. Individual restaurants and food vendors are subject to normal tenant turnover.
Entertainment, fitness, and services
Entertainment and services
Beyond retail, the complex includes a multiplex movie theater, a fitness club, and office space. These uses broaden the center's appeal and help position it as a mixed shopping, leisure, and service destination rather than solely a collection of stores.
Brand decisions
2014
Development of The Mall at Bay PlazaStrategyBackground
The existing Bay Plaza complex was expanded to create an enclosed, anchored fashion mall in a large under-served retail area of the Bronx and to increase the property's regional-destination role.
Action taken
The project added approximately 780,000 square feet, more than 100 specialty stores, a new three-level Macy's, a food court, and a garage with approximately 1,800 parking spaces. The completed development brought the broader complex to roughly two million square feet.
Aftermath
The expansion opened on August 14, 2014, added major national retailers including H&M, and created reported construction and permanent employment opportunities.
Reported expansion cost. $65 million (2014 expansion project)
Recent events
- 2014
The Mall at Bay Plaza opens after major expansion[1]
Product launch · Other
The enclosed Mall at Bay Plaza opened on August 14, 2014, adding approximately 780,000 square feet, more than 100 specialty stores, a food court, major department-store space, and a new parking garage.
- 2014
Bay Plaza expansion adds H&M's first Bronx store[1]
Product launch · Other
The 2014 expansion brought an H&M location to the complex, described in reference material as the retailer's first store in the Bronx.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/bay-plaza-shopping-center · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled