Roosevelt Field to expand, add Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus is finally coming to Long Island.

After 16 years of delay, the Dallas-based luxury retailer will debut its first full-line store at Garden City's Roosevelt Field in 2015, serving as the centerpiece of a major mall renovation expected to bring more than 2,800 construction jobs and hundreds of other new positions, the mall's owner, Simon Property Group, said Thursday.

The face-lift and expansion, expected to cost more than $200 million, aims to give shoppers more amenities and choices as well as more reasons to stay at the mall longer and spend more, mall officials and retail analysts said. The privately funded project comes at a time when malls, facing growing competition from online shopping, not only have to provide product but also entertainment, said Marshal Cohen, retail analyst for The NPD Group, a Port Washington-based market research firm.

Neiman Marcus began its quest for a Long Island location 16 years ago, hoping to anchor an upscale Syosset mall project proposed by Taubman Centers Inc. But that project has been stalled in a lengthy battle between Taubman and local residents and the Town of Oyster Bay.

"When we saw the redevelopment opportunity at Roosevelt Field, we decided to change course and go with Simon Property," said Wayne Hussey, senior vice president of store development at The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. "We already have a very strong customer base on Long Island, but we didn't have a store to serve their needs."

The Neiman Marcus shopper is already at Roosevelt Field, said Richard Sokolov, president of Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group. "Now we will be able to get a bigger share of that shopper's expenditures . . . because we have another compelling offering," he said.

A two-story, 100,000-square-foot building will be constructed to house Neiman Marcus. The renovation, expected to begin in 2013, will feature a Food Pavilion with indoor and outdoor seating to replace the food court. The mall also will add a number of dining choices, including three new full-service restaurants.