Repurposing underused retail land for residential construction is advancing in Monroe County, New York, where state funding will support the acquisition of a 13.02-acre site at Greece Ridge Mall for future housing development.
Empire State Development announced the $5 million allocation on Oct. 14, 2026, with the funding designated to help the Town of Greece purchase two parcels within the mall property. Following the acquisition, town officials will seek development proposals aligned with local housing priorities and the community's state-certified Pro-Housing designation.
The proposed development will prioritize housing for older adults while leaving room for other mixed-use opportunities. Specific unit counts, project costs beyond the acquisition funding and construction timelines have not yet been announced.
The 1.63 million-square-foot Greece Ridge Mall is managed by Wilmorite Properties. The planned land transfer would introduce residential development opportunities to the existing retail property while retaining the shopping centre's broader commercial role.
The approach follows other efforts in Monroe County to introduce housing on mall sites. One example cited by the state is Marketplace Senior Apartments at Marketplace Mall, another property owned by Wilmorite.
Under the proposed process, the Town of Greece will oversee requests for development proposals and manage submissions from prospective partners. The final housing mix and project delivery details will depend on the proposals selected by local officials.
The announcement is part of New York's broader Pro-Housing Communities initiative, which provides certified municipalities access to certain state funding opportunities intended to encourage housing development.
The Greece Ridge initiative links public land-acquisition support with a potential private-sector development opportunity. For developers and construction firms, the next stage will depend on the town's proposal process, the selected development concept and the requirements for preparing the site for residential or mixed-use construction.
The project also illustrates how established retail properties can provide land for housing without requiring an entirely new development site. However, the final scope, approvals, financing structure and construction schedule remain to be determined.
Why It Matters
The $5 million allocation creates a pathway for the Town of Greece to bring underutilized mall property into a future housing development process. For construction owners, developers and prospective project teams, the acquisition marks an early step toward a project whose scale and delivery requirements will become clearer once the town solicits and evaluates development proposals.
Source: ESD.
