Westchester's Ridge Hill
A mixed-use lifestyle center with retail, dining, entertainment, residential, and office components in Yonkers, New York.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Ridge Hill, formerly branded Westchester's Ridge Hill, is a mixed-use lifestyle center in Yonkers, New York. The development occupies an approximately 84-acre site positioned between Interstate 87 and the Sprain Brook Parkway. Rather than functioning solely as an enclosed shopping mall, Ridge Hill combines stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, residential condominiums, and office space in a large-format, open-air commercial environment. The project emerged from a public redevelopment effort led by the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency. Planning began around 2000, when city and development officials sought to convert a strategically located but underproductive parcel into a source of employment, tax revenue, and consumer activity. Before redevelopment, the land had been used by a sanitarium, hospital, church, and rehabilitation center. A later arrangement involving Lockheed Martin did not produce the expected level of employment, and the city ultimately pursued a new developer-selection process. Forest City Ratner Companies, the New York subsidiary of Forest City Enterprises, won the development contract. Forest City acquired the site from the City of Yonkers and announced an ambitious retail-led project. Early prospective tenants included Whole Foods Market and L.L.Bean, while Saks Fifth Avenue was also reported to have considered a location. Site clearance began in early 2007, and the project formally broke ground on November 8 of that year. The original schedule anticipated completion in 2009, but the global economic recession caused Forest City to defer the opening until 2011. Ridge Hill opened with a broad tenant mix intended to attract both routine shoppers and destination visitors. Major components included Whole Foods Market, Dick's Sporting Goods, Lowe's, TJ Maxx, Showcase Cinemas, restaurants, and other specialty retailers. Lord & Taylor also announced an approximately 80,000-square-foot department-store anchor in December 2010. Saks Fifth Avenue ultimately decided not to establish a Ridge Hill location. The center continued to add tenants after opening, including Starbucks and The Container Store, and expanded its entertainment offer with a Legoland Discovery Center. The Legoland Discovery Center opened on March 26, 2013, with an announced investment of $12 million. It was described as the first Legoland Discovery Center in the northeastern United States and the fifth in the country, giving Ridge Hill a regional family-entertainment attraction beyond conventional shopping and dining. The property changed ownership as the Forest City portfolio evolved. Forest City sold its mall business to Queensland Investment Corporation, and Ridge Hill later changed hands again. On May 6, 2022, the center was reported to have been acquired for $220 million by a joint venture of Nuveen Real Estate, Taconic Partners, and North American Properties. The new ownership group outlined plans to refresh the physical environment and pursue additional luxury, fitness, dining, and entertainment tenants. Ridge Hill's current identity is therefore that of a regional lifestyle destination rather than a single-format mall. Its value proposition rests on a combination of accessible highway location, open-air retail, grocery and home-improvement necessities, restaurants, cinema and family entertainment, and mixed-use real-estate components. The center's history also reflects broader changes in American retail property: public-sector land redevelopment, recession-delayed construction, the shift from department-store dependence toward experiential uses, and institutional ownership focused on repositioning established shopping destinations.
History
Ridge Hill developed from a long-running Yonkers redevelopment initiative. Around 2000, the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency began planning for a large project intended to stimulate employment and make productive use of a strategically located parcel. Before redevelopment, the site had hosted several institutional uses, including a sanitarium, a hospital, a church, and a rehabilitation center. The city later entered into an arrangement involving Lockheed Martin, but the expected employment benefits did not materialize. Yonkers purchased the remaining interest in that arrangement and reopened the site to competing development proposals. Forest City Ratner Companies, Forest City's New York subsidiary, was selected to develop the property. The project was planned as a mixed-use lifestyle center rather than a conventional enclosed mall, with retail, restaurants, entertainment, homes, and offices integrated into a large open-air setting. The development occupies approximately 84 acres between Interstate 87 and the Sprain Brook Parkway. Whole Foods Market and L.L.Bean were among the early announced tenants, and Saks Fifth Avenue was reported to have considered a store before ultimately declining to proceed. The site was cleared in early 2007, followed by a formal groundbreaking on November 8. Forest City originally expected to complete the project in 2009. The recession of the late 2000s disrupted the timetable, however, and the developer announced in 2009 that the opening would be postponed until 2011. Tenant announcements continued during the preparation period. Dick's Sporting Goods, Brio Tuscan Grille, and REI were identified in November 2010, while Lord & Taylor announced an approximately 80,000-square-foot anchor store the following month. Ridge Hill opened in 2011 with a tenant mix spanning grocery, apparel, sporting goods, home improvement, restaurants, and entertainment. The project was designed to serve both local shopping needs and destination visits, using its highway accessibility and broad range of uses to distinguish it from a single-purpose retail property. Subsequent leasing added brands such as Starbucks and The Container Store. The center expanded its experiential component in March 2013 with the opening of a Legoland Discovery Center. The attraction represented a reported $12 million investment and occupied approximately 32,300 square feet. Its opening added a family-oriented destination use to the center and helped reinforce Ridge Hill's lifestyle and entertainment positioning. Further tenant additions were announced in 2014. Ownership later moved beyond Forest City. Forest City sold its mall business to Queensland Investment Corporation, and Ridge Hill subsequently underwent another ownership transition. In May 2022, Nuveen Real Estate, Taconic Partners, and North American Properties acquired the center through a joint venture in a transaction reported at $220 million. The new owners announced plans to refresh the physical environment and attract more luxury, fitness, dining, and entertainment businesses. The closure of the Lord & Taylor store in 2020 illustrated the pressure on traditional department-store anchors. Its parent company ultimately ceased operations during the COVID-19 period, leaving Ridge Hill to continue adapting its tenant and experience mix. Today the property remains an active Yonkers lifestyle center whose model combines shopping, food, entertainment, housing, and offices.
- 2022
Acquisition by Nuveen, Taconic, and North American Properties
[1]A joint venture involving the three real-estate firms acquired Ridge Hill and announced a repositioning program.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor closes
[1]The department-store anchor's closure was announced during the COVID-19-era collapse of its parent company.
- 2013
Legoland Discovery Center opens
[1]The center added a major family-entertainment attraction in a reported $12 million project.
- 2011
Grand opening
[1]Ridge Hill opened as a mixed-use lifestyle center with retail, restaurants, residences, and offices.
- 2009
Opening deferred to 2011
[1]The recession led Forest City to postpone the planned completion from 2009 to 2011.
- 2007
Site cleared and construction begins
[1]The property was cleared early in the year, and formal construction began on November 8.
- 2000
Yonkers begins planning a redevelopment
[1]The Yonkers Industrial Development Agency began planning a major project to redevelop the site and encourage job creation.
Products and positioning
An open-air, mixed-use lifestyle destination serving Yonkers and the wider Westchester County market through a combination of everyday retail, restaurants, entertainment, and residential and office uses.
Grocery anchor · 2011
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is one of Ridge Hill's major grocery-oriented anchors, supporting frequent local visits and complementing the center's destination retail, restaurant, and entertainment uses.
Sporting-goods retail · 2011
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods provides sporting equipment, apparel, footwear, and related merchandise. Its large-format presence contributes an everyday and destination shopping component to Ridge Hill's tenant mix.
Home improvement · 2011
Lowe's
Lowe's is a home-improvement anchor serving household renovation, maintenance, building, and outdoor-living needs. The format broadens Ridge Hill beyond fashion, dining, and entertainment.
Off-price department store · 2011
TJ Maxx
TJ Maxx contributes off-price apparel, home goods, accessories, and general merchandise to Ridge Hill's value-oriented retail offer.
Cinema · 2011
Showcase Cinemas
Showcase Cinemas provides movie-theater entertainment and functions as a destination use that supports evening and weekend visitation to the wider center.
Family entertainment · 2013
Legoland Discovery Center
Legoland Discovery Center is an indoor, Lego-themed family attraction featuring interactive experiences and play-oriented entertainment. Its Ridge Hill location opened in 2013 as a major experiential addition to the property.
Department store · 2011
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor operated an approximately 80,000-square-foot department-store anchor announced before Ridge Hill's opening. The location later closed in 2020 during the parent company's business failure.
Brand decisions
2022
Reposition the lifestyle centerStrategyBackground
A new ownership group acquired Ridge Hill amid continuing changes in retail real estate and the decline of traditional department-store anchors.
Action taken
Nuveen Real Estate, Taconic Partners, and North American Properties announced plans to update the property and pursue additional luxury, fitness, dining, and entertainment tenants.
Aftermath
The announced program positioned Ridge Hill for continued use as a diversified lifestyle and mixed-use destination.
Reported acquisition price. $220 million (2022)
2013
Add Legoland Discovery CenterProduct launchBackground
Ridge Hill sought to strengthen its destination and family-entertainment offer beyond conventional shopping.
Action taken
The center opened a 32,300-square-foot Legoland Discovery Center in a project reported to cost $12 million.
Aftermath
The attraction became a prominent experiential component of the property and broadened its regional draw.
Reported project investment. $12 million (2013)
2009
Postpone the opening scheduleStrategyBackground
The project was being developed during the late-2000s economic recession, which affected construction and retail development conditions.
Action taken
Forest City moved the expected completion date from 2009 to 2011.
Aftermath
Ridge Hill ultimately opened in 2011 with a mixed-use retail, dining, and entertainment format.
Recent events
- 2022
Ridge Hill acquired by new real-estate joint venture[1]
M&A
Nuveen Real Estate, Taconic Partners, and North American Properties acquired Ridge Hill in a transaction reported at $220 million and announced plans to update the property and expand luxury, fitness, dining, and entertainment offerings.
- 2020
Lord & Taylor anchor closure announced[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The closure of Ridge Hill's Lord & Taylor location was announced in August 2020 as the department-store company exited the business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2014
Additional retail and restaurant tenants announced[1]
Product launch
Eight additional stores were announced, including Starbucks and The Container Store.
- 2013
Legoland Discovery Center opens[1]
Product launch
A $12 million, approximately 32,300-square-foot Legoland Discovery Center opened at Ridge Hill. It was presented as the first attraction of its kind in the Northeast and the fifth in the United States.
- 2011
Ridge Hill opens as a mixed-use lifestyle center[1]
Other · Product launch
The development opened to the public with retail stores, restaurants, and mixed-use components including condominiums and offices.
- 2010
Multiple initial tenants announced[1]
Other
Dick's Sporting Goods, Brio Tuscan Grille, and REI were among the stores and restaurants announced in November 2010. Lord & Taylor separately announced an approximately 80,000-square-foot anchor store in December.
- 2009
Opening schedule delayed by economic recession[1]
Other
Forest City announced that the anticipated completion date would move from 2009 to 2011 because of economic conditions associated with the recession.
- 2007
Ridge Hill construction formally begins[1]
Other
Forest City began formal construction of the Yonkers mixed-use retail project on November 8, 2007, following site clearance earlier in the year.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/westchesters-ridge-hill · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled