Walt Whitman mall gets OK for expansion

The Walt Whitman mall in Huntington Station has received approval for the last phase of a site plan that will add about 72,000 square feet to its main building.

The mall's owner, Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc., plans to add one- and two-story additions to the mall that will include new restaurant space, two-level stores and loading areas, according to Town of Huntington Planning Board documents.

About 40,000 square feet will be added to the mall's first floor and about 30,000 square feet of space to its second floor. Interior renovations will also be made.

The mall, which changed its name to the Walt Whitman Shops late last year, expects the expansion to create space for 10 to 12 new stores when the project is finished. Some mall stores already have been relocated prior to the expansion.

The final phase of the plan, which was approved by the planning board last week, also calls for reconfiguring some parking areas. The project will take about a year to complete.