Roosevelt Field mall rises from the airfield
The Roosevelt Field mall occupies the site of an airport that closed in 1951, when Nassau County leaders chose retail as the next use for open Hempstead Plains and cleared the runways.
Work began in April 1955. By August 22, 1956, Macy's opened a several-hundred-thousand-square-foot anchor store, the first piece of a regional center designed around automobile traffic.
The full mall opened on December 14, 1956, with Woolworth, Walgreens, Food Fair, Buster Brown, a movie theater, an auditorium, and an outdoor skating rink set beside large parking fields.
The aviation era closed with the removal of sheds, and in their place, a plaza spread across the ground, all on one level.
Suburban drivers found their way in via Old Country Road, a connector to the Meadowbrook State Parkway.
From day one, Macy's established itself as the anchor, its presence dictating the rhythm of the mall.
Walkways remained open to the air but were punctuated with covered passages, a balance of exposure and refuge for those moving between shops.
Food Fair met the grocery list. Woolworth sold household basics and served quick meals at its lunch counter.
Walgreens blended pharmacy services with a soda fountain, a mix of necessity and treat.
Parents headed to Buster Brown for shoes and children's clothing. Nights brought films at the theater and events in the auditorium.
Winter drew skaters to the outdoor rink, an attraction that encouraged return visits beyond routine errands.
Around all this lay vast parking fields, laid out for thousands of cars, making access as important as the stores.
In its first years, Roosevelt Field fused anchors, everyday shopping, and recreation into a planned destination for the expanding suburbs of Long Island.
"Entrance to Roosevelt Field" by Simon Malls is licensed under CC CC0 1.0
1962 to 1968, buildout and enclosure
The summer of 1962 brought Roosevelt Field its second anchor: Gimbels, housed in a 240,000 square foot building.
The addition carried the complex past one million square feet of leasable space, placing it firmly in the hierarchy of Long Island centers on the rise.
Within two years, new shops and amenities followed, expanding what visitors could find day to day.
Entertainment found a permanent place that same year with the opening of Century's Roosevelt Field Theatre.
Positioned at the edge of the property, the theater began showing films in late August 1962.
It created a steady stream of nighttime traffic and gave shoppers another reason to return after regular retail hours.
Alongside it, the auditorium continued to serve local events, reinforcing the mall's role as a destination that blended commerce with community use.
Ownership changed in 1966, when Corporate Property Investors purchased the center from its original developers.
Under new management, Roosevelt Field entered a major transition. Construction crews started enclosing the open-air concourses in 1967, and by mid-1968, the work was complete.
Covering the concourses created an indoor environment, controlled and insulated from the elements.
Shoppers now experienced the mall consistently in every season, a design choice that placed Roosevelt Field in step with the wave of enclosed centers spreading through the region at the time.
1971 to 1974, anchor grid completed
On October 15, 1971, Alexander's opened a full-line department store inside Roosevelt Field.
The new anchor spanned multiple floors and brought fresh merchandise lines into the enclosed center.
Its arrival shifted the balance of traffic, giving shoppers another major destination alongside Macy's and Gimbels.
The concourses extended to connect the store directly into the growing loop of retail.
The expansion continued the next year when JCPenney debuted on July 19, 1972.
Covering some 260,000 square feet, the store added catalog service and expanded household offerings to the property.
Its presence gave Roosevelt Field a four-anchor configuration, guiding customers through lengthy runs of smaller shops en route to the anchors.
By 1974, the property tested a smaller concept within its walls. Le Petit Mall opened that year as a Tudor-style section lined with boutique-sized units.
It offered room for merchants who needed less square footage than the larger boxes and added variety to the tenant mix.
Bus access along Old Country Road improved at the same time, drawing more visitors who were no longer reliant only on cars to reach the center.
1991 to 1997, two-level rebuild and a new south wing
Renovation began in 1991 with plans to expand Roosevelt Field vertically.
Crews built a second level above much of the existing structure and reconfigured concourses to handle greater flow.
On April 23, 1993, the upper level opened with a dedicated food court, the first centralized dining area in the mall's history.
Shoppers could now stop at a wide mix of counters grouped in one hall, a feature that quickly became a daily draw.
Construction continued through the mid-1990s. By late 1996, the expansion pushed into a southern wing that added about fifty new stores.
Two multi-level parking garages were completed as part of the project, giving the property added capacity for the heavier traffic the new space generated.
In-line retailers filled the extended concourses with apparel, shoes, and lifestyle brands that matched the refreshed design.
The transformation reached a peak in August 1997 when Nordstrom opened a two-level, 225,000 square foot department store.
The debut came with a freshly built wing that connected directly into the loop of shops, lined with tenants positioned at higher price points.
Around the same time, Bloomingdale's replaced the former Alexander's and A&S location, completing its move into Roosevelt Field in 1995.
Together, these changes reshaped the mall into a larger, multi-level complex with expanded retail variety and new anchors that broadened its reach.
1998 to 2016, new owners and a luxury wing
In 1998, ownership of Roosevelt Field changed when Simon Property Group acquired Corporate Property Investors.
The purchase added the Long Island mall to Simon's national portfolio and set the stage for steady redevelopment.
One of the first major anchor shifts during this era involved the former Gimbels space.
After closing in 1986, it became Stern's in 1987, then transitioned to Galyan's in 2003 before taking on the Dick's Sporting Goods name in 2004.
Each conversion reshaped the large box and kept the space active.
By the early 2010s, Simon began a modernization plan. Interiors were refreshed with new finishes, escalators, and expanded skylights.
A centerpiece of the renovation was the Dining District, a 50,000 square foot food hall that opened on January 29, 2015.
With seating for about 1,200, it consolidated restaurants and counters into a single location.
Shoppers could find national fast casual chains alongside local concepts, a format designed to anchor the mall's upper level.
In 2012, Simon announced a new luxury wing anchored by Neiman Marcus. Construction added about 105,000 square feet of high-end retail and a new multi-level garage.
Neiman Marcus opened its doors on February 19, 2016, marking the chain's first Long Island store.
The wing also introduced a row of upscale boutiques that further diversified the tenant mix and extended the mall's footprint into a new era.
2017 to 2023, tenant changes and format mix
Between 2017 and 2023, Roosevelt Field saw its tenant roster shift with new categories joining longtime anchors. Department stores refreshed their floors during this period.
These changes reflected a broader move by large chains to rework their layouts while holding existing square footage.
The mall also welcomed short-term concepts and digitally native brands.
Pop-up stores began appearing across the concourses, offering a chance for online labels to test physical locations.
These rotating tenants kept vacant spaces active and introduced variety, while permanent national chains held core positions along the main corridors.
The combination gave shoppers a changing mix without altering the underlying structure of the mall.
A major new anchor arrived on November 17, 2022, when Primark opened in the former Bloomingdale's Furniture Gallery.
That store had closed in 2019, and its multi-level space was reconfigured for the fast fashion chain.
The opening marked one of Primark's earliest Long Island locations.
In 2023, announcements pointed to incoming tenants, including Brilliant Earth, Rudsak, TYR, Kendra Scott, Warby Parker, TAG Heuer, Armani Exchange, Offline by Aerie, and Abercrombie & Fitch, returning to the mall, extending the mix of lifestyle, jewelry, and apparel inside the property.
2024 to 2025, fresh entries and new uses
Roosevelt Field added new retail categories in late 2024 when Sukoshi Mart opened its first U.S. store.
The shop began operating in October, selling Asian beauty products, snacks, and stationery.
Its location inside the mall introduced items that had not been part of the mix before and quickly drew attention from younger shoppers.
Dining expanded in 2025 with the arrival of Bartaco in May.
The restaurant opened with a menu built around tacos and cocktails, designed as a full-service dining option rather than counter service.
A few weeks later, Activate Games opened a 5,350 square foot space after a preview on June 5 and a grand opening on June 6.
The venue offered interactive rooms and team-based challenges, adding a form of entertainment that differed from traditional arcades or movie theaters.
Fashion brands continued to enter the property during the same year.
Kurt Geiger launched one of its early U.S. stores inside Roosevelt Field in early 2025, bringing footwear and accessories from London.
On July 12, Edikted opened its first Long Island location, targeting Gen Z shoppers with trend-driven apparel.
Princess Polly announced plans for a Roosevelt Field store as part of seven U.S. openings scheduled for 2025, signaling more youth-oriented fashion ahead.