ST. GEORGE — The first outlet mall in New York City has a base.
Workers spent 12 hours pouring a massive amount of concrete to first part of the Empire Outlets project.
Crews at the site poured 2,800 cubic yards of concrete for the foundation of the site's waterfront loading dock between Friday night and Saturday morning, a spokesman for developers BFC Partners said.
(Photo credit: BFC Partners)
The $304 million complex will bring 100 outlet stores, a 190-room hotel and a 1,250-space parking garage at former parking lots adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal.
The city officially announced the project in 2012, along with a giant observation wheel next to it, and developers broke ground in April 2015.
Numerous retailers have taken space at the spot including Nike, H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Banana Republic, an "artisanal" food spot run by the team who started the Meatpacking District's Gansevoort Market, and the borough's first Two Boots pizza restaurant.
A source in the project previously said the funds would only be used to build the infrastructure — like the public parking garage and storm protections — and a spokesman for the governor told Politico New York the contributions had no effect on the funding.
Last week, the developers fired their managing construction company, LPCiminelli, after two top executives were charged with allegedly paying thousands of dollars in bribes to win a state contract, the Staten Island Advance reported.
Developers expect the mall to open in 2017.
