Broadway Commons
A regional shopping center in Hicksville, New York, formerly known as Broadway Mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Broadway Commons is a regional shopping center in Hicksville, on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. The property opened on October 25, 1956, as Mid-Island Shopping Plaza, an open-air suburban shopping center developed during a period of rapid population growth in Nassau County. It was built on land previously associated with a Catholic boys' orphanage and a dairy and vegetable farm. The original project reportedly cost $40 million and was designed to handle more than 40,000 shoppers a day. The center was planned by Allied Stores and anchored by Gertz, a department-store chain based in Jamaica, Queens. The original Gertz building was a five-level suburban department store and became an important regional retail facility. In the early 1980s, Gertz closed its Jamaica location and treated the Hicksville store as its flagship, while corporate staff occupied part of the building. After Allied merged Gertz into its Stern's division in 1982, the store was converted to the Stern's name in 1983. It later became a Macy's location in 2001 after Federated Department Stores consolidated the Stern's division. The property developed beyond conventional retail. A nearly mile-long truck tunnel was built beneath the center, and in 1957 it was designated as a Civil Defense operational headquarters with emergency capacity for more than 9,000 people. The Fox Plaza North and South Cinerama twin-plex was added in the 1960s and began showing films in 1964. The center was enclosed in 1968, renovated from 1987 through 1991, and comprehensively redeveloped in 1995. Its name changed to Broadway Mall in 1989 and to Broadway Commons in January 2017. Over the decades, the shopping center hosted a changing mix of department stores, supermarkets, specialty retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, and service businesses. Former anchors and notable tenants included Korvettes, Pathmark, JCPenney, Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, Sam Goody, and Macy's. IKEA opened a store at the property in 1991, its second in the New York metropolitan area. Although initially separate from the mall, the IKEA store was eventually connected to the center and gained a mall entrance. JCPenney opened in 1999, closed in 2003, and was replaced by a Target store that opened in 2004. Ownership changed several times in the twenty-first century. Vornado Realty Trust acquired the center in 2005 for $153 million and sold it in 2014 to a partnership led by KKR for $94 million. A renovation program announced in 2015 was intended to refresh the property and add food, fitness, and casual-dining tenants, including Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness, and Chick-fil-A. Round One Entertainment opened in 2017 in a former apparel and music-retail area. Macy's announced the closure of its anchor store in January 2020. In 2024, a local ownership group announced a proposed $100 million redevelopment. The plans called for demolishing the vacant Macy's building and removing the covered portions of the mall, returning much of the center to an open-air format and potentially renaming it The Shops on Broadway. The cinema later closed in January 2025, and the upper food-court stores were reported to have closed around the end of 2025 in preparation for a proposed dining and entertainment district. Broadway Commons therefore represents a continuing redevelopment project rather than a static retail format.
History
Broadway Commons began as Mid-Island Shopping Plaza, an open-air shopping center that held its grand opening on October 25, 1956, in Hicksville, New York. The site had previously included a Catholic boys' orphanage and agricultural land used for dairy and vegetable production. The development was planned by Allied Stores and anchored by Gertz, a Jamaica, Queens-based department-store operator. Its construction reflected the rapid suburbanization of Nassau County and the emergence of Long Island as a major postwar population center. The original center was designed for more than 40,000 daily shoppers and included unusual infrastructure for a retail complex. A truck tunnel running for nearly a mile beneath the property was designated in September 1957 as a Civil Defense operational headquarters, with emergency accommodation for more than 9,000 people. The center also became a public political venue: on September 28, 1960, then-Vice President Richard Nixon stopped at the plaza during his presidential campaign and delivered a speech. Entertainment was added early in the property's history. The Fox Plaza North and South Cinerama twin-plex was constructed as a freestanding building at the north end of the center and presented its first feature in May 1964. The shopping center was enclosed in 1968. During the late 1960s and 1970s, its anchors included Gertz, Korvettes, and Pathmark, while smaller businesses included restaurants and specialty retailers. The property later received renovations between 1987 and 1991 and was comprehensively redeveloped in 1995. It adopted the Broadway Mall name in 1989. Gertz's role changed in the early 1980s. After the chain closed its Jamaica store, the Hicksville location became its flagship and housed regional corporate personnel. Allied merged the Gertz division into Stern's in 1982, and the store was converted to Stern's in early 1983. Federated Department Stores subsequently folded Stern's into Macy's, and the anchor received the Macy's name in 2001. IKEA entered the property in 1991, opening its second New York metropolitan-area store. The IKEA facility was initially adjacent to, rather than physically connected with, the mall, although a display in the mall promoted the store. It was later connected to the center and became one of the relatively unusual IKEA locations with a mall entrance. JCPenney opened a single-level anchor in October 1999 but closed in January 2003. The building was demolished and replaced by Target, which opened on October 10, 2004. Vornado Realty Trust acquired Broadway Mall in 2005 for $153 million. It sold the property on February 14, 2014, to a partnership led by KKR for $94 million. In 2015 the mall presented plans for physical improvements and a refreshed tenant lineup. New or proposed tenants included Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness, and Chick-fil-A. The name changed from Broadway Mall to Broadway Commons in January 2017. In July of that year, Round One Entertainment opened a two-level venue in space formerly used by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Sam Goody. The property entered another period of transition when Macy's announced the closure of its store on January 8, 2020. In 2024, a local ownership group announced a proposed $100 million overhaul. The concept called for demolishing the vacant Macy's anchor and removing covered mall sections to create a largely open-air shopping environment, potentially under the name The Shops on Broadway. Showcase Cinema De Lux later announced its closure, with operations ending on January 5, 2025. The upper food-court stores were reported to have closed around the end of 2025 as preparation for a proposed dining and entertainment district. The center's long-term format and final redevelopment outcome remain subject to implementation of those plans.
- 2025
Showcase Cinema De Lux closes
[1]The mall cinema ended operations on January 5.
- 2024
Open-air redevelopment is proposed
[1]A local ownership group announced a proposed $100 million redevelopment involving demolition of the vacant Macy's building and removal of enclosed mall sections.
- 2020
Macy's announces closure
[1]Macy's announced on January 8 that it would close its Broadway Commons anchor.
- 2017
Broadway Mall becomes Broadway Commons
[1]The property changed its name in January, and Round One Entertainment opened in July.
- 2014
Vornado sells the mall
[1]A KKR-led partnership acquired the center from Vornado on February 14 for $94 million.
- 2005
Vornado acquires the property
[1]Vornado Realty Trust purchased Broadway Mall for $153 million.
- 2004
Target opens
[1]The replacement Target store opened on October 10.
- 2003
JCPenney building is replaced
[1]JCPenney closed in January, and its building was demolished for a future Target store.
- 2001
Former Stern's anchor becomes Macy's
[1]The department-store anchor was converted to Macy's following the consolidation of the Stern's division.
- 1999
JCPenney opens
[1]A single-level JCPenney store opened at the mall in October.
Products and positioning
A large suburban regional shopping center serving Hicksville and the surrounding Nassau County market, with a tenant mix spanning value-oriented retail, home furnishings, dining, fitness, and entertainment. Its current positioning is increasingly tied to redevelopment into an open-air dining and entertainment destination.
Home furnishings · 1991
IKEA
IKEA has operated at the property since 1991, when it opened its second store in the New York metropolitan area. The store was initially adjacent to the mall but was later connected to the center and given a mall entrance, making the location an unusual example of an IKEA integrated with a regional shopping mall.
Discount department store · 2004
Target
Target replaced the former JCPenney building after JCPenney closed in 2003. The store opened on October 10, 2004, and serves as one of the center's principal large-format retail anchors.
Fitness services · 2015
Blink Fitness
Blink Fitness was among the tenants identified in the mall's 2015 renovation and leasing plans. Its presence reflects the center's effort to supplement traditional retail with recurring-use services and fitness-oriented traffic.
Entertainment · 2017
Round One Entertainment
Round One Entertainment opened a two-level venue of approximately 49,200 square feet in July 2017. It occupied space previously used by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Sam Goody, adding an entertainment anchor to the mall's tenant mix.
Food and beverage
Food court and dining tenants
Broadway Commons has included a food court and a range of restaurant tenants. The 2015 refresh plans named Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, and Chick-fil-A among the intended additions. The food-and-entertainment offer was subsequently targeted for further restructuring as part of the proposed redevelopment.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Broadway Mall renovation program
United States
The mall publicized renderings and announced a renovation effort intended to modernize the property and add dining, fitness, and casual-food tenants.
Outcome. The announced tenant additions included Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness, and Chick-fil-A, while later redevelopment plans proposed a more fundamental change to the property's format.
- 1960Richard Nixon campaign appearance
United States
The shopping center hosted Vice President Richard Nixon on September 28, when he made a campaign stop and delivered a speech during his presidential run.
Outcome. The appearance illustrates the center's role as a prominent public gathering place in suburban Long Island.
Brand decisions
2024
Plan a return to an open-air retail formatStrategyBackground
The closure of the Macy's anchor created a substantial vacant space and the property faced the broader challenge of adapting an aging enclosed mall to changing retail patterns.
Action taken
A local ownership group proposed a $100 million redevelopment involving demolition of the vacant Macy's building, removal of covered mall sections, and creation of a dining and entertainment-oriented outdoor center. The proposed future name was The Shops on Broadway.
Aftermath
The cinema and upper food-court stores subsequently closed as preparation for remodeling was reported, but the final scope and completion of the redevelopment are not established in the supplied material.
Proposed redevelopment cost. $100 million (2024 announced plan)
2017
Rebrand as Broadway CommonsStrategyBackground
The property sought to refresh its identity and tenant mix after a series of ownership changes and renovation plans.
Action taken
The mall changed its public name from Broadway Mall to Broadway Commons.
Aftermath
The new identity accompanied the opening of Round One Entertainment and continued repositioning toward a broader retail and entertainment mix.
1989
Adopt the Broadway Mall nameStrategyBackground
The shopping center had operated under the Mid-Island Shopping Plaza name since its 1956 opening.
Action taken
The property was renamed Broadway Mall.
Aftermath
Broadway Mall became the center's primary identity until the name changed again to Broadway Commons in 2017.
1968
Enclose the open-air shopping centerGeneration changeBackground
The original Mid-Island Shopping Plaza operated as an open-air center during the first years of suburban expansion in Nassau County.
Action taken
The property was enclosed, changing its operating format into an indoor shopping mall.
Aftermath
The enclosed format remained the center's defining physical arrangement for decades, until a later proposal sought to return substantial portions of the property to an outdoor layout.
Recent events
- 2025
Showcase Cinema De Lux closes at Broadway Commons[1]
Other
Showcase Cinema De Lux announced its closure, with the cinema's final operating date reported as January 5.
- 2024
Local ownership group announces major redevelopment[1]
Product generation
A local ownership group announced a proposed $100 million remodeling, including demolition of the vacant Macy's building, removal of enclosed mall sections, and a possible new name, The Shops on Broadway.
- 2020
Macy's announces closure of its Broadway Commons anchor[1]
Leadership change · Other
Macy's announced that it would close its anchor store at the shopping center, creating a major vacant space within the property.
- 2017
Property changes its name to Broadway Commons[1]
Other
The shopping center adopted the Broadway Commons name, replacing Broadway Mall as its public identity.
- 2017
Round One Entertainment opens at the center[1]
Product launch
A two-level Round One Entertainment venue opened in approximately 49,200 square feet formerly occupied by Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Sam Goody.
- 2015
Broadway Mall announces a renovation and new tenants[1]
Campaign · Other
The mall publicized renovation plans and identified several prospective additions, including Noodles & Company, Blaze Pizza, Blink Fitness, and Chick-fil-A.
- 2014
KKR-led partnership acquires Broadway Mall[1]
M&A
Vornado sold the property to a partnership led by KKR for $94 million as Vornado reduced its regional mall holdings.
- 2005
Vornado Realty Trust acquires Broadway Mall[1]
M&A
Vornado Realty Trust purchased Broadway Mall for $153 million, adding the regional shopping center to its retail-property portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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