Saks OFF 5TH leaving Bay Plaza location after 2-year stint
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A BTR UGUST 16-22, 2019 3
BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN
In a bit of a shocking twist,
a fairly new retail tenant will
be closing its location at the
Bay Plaza Shopping Center.
Just two years after taking
over longtime Bay Plaza tenant
Barnes & Noble’s location,
it was recently announced that
Saks OFF 5TH, a premium
outlet and subsidiary unit of
Saks Fifth Avenue, will close
its only Bronx store at the end
of October.
Saks OFF 5TH, which held
its grand opening ceremony in
August 2017, took over the location
at 290 Baychester Avenue
after bookseller chain Barnes
& Noble called the Bay Plaza
Shopping Center its home for
more than 15 years.
The store closure is part of
a plan by Saks to close up to 20
of its Saks OFF 5TH stores by
the end of 2019.
“Retail is strong in the
Bronx and at the Bay Plaza
Shopping Center, but it is to
our understanding that Saks
OFF 5TH will be closing a
number of (its) stores,” said a
spokesperson from Prestige
Properties & Development
Company, which owns the
shopping center.
Prestige Properties would
not comment further regarding
a potential tenant to replace
Saks OFF 5TH.
According to Hudson’s Bay
Company, which owns Saks
Union Community
Health Center’s
Champion Awards
Union Community Health Center’s
Health Fair & Community Health Center
Champion Award Ceremony was held on
Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August
8. Photos by Silvio Pacifi co
(right) Chef Geneva Wilson graciously
accepted her Certifi cate of Recognition
from Dr. York.
(far right) Chef Geneva Wilson graciously
accepted her Certifi cate of Recognition
from Dr. York.
(bottom right) Kristin Sainato (l), United
Healthcare Quality Management director,
and United Healthcare’s Elizabeth
Tejada (2nd from r) and Elizabeth Terrero
presented Dr. York (2nd from l) with
a check for $2,500 check for Union Community
Health Center.
(bottom far right) Kristin Sainato (l),
United Healthcare Quality Management
director, and United Healthcare’s Elizabeth
Tejada (2nd from r) and Elizabeth
Terrero presented Dr. York (2nd from l)
with a check for $2,500 check for Union
Community Health Center
Fifth Avenue, HBC is performing
a review of its Saks OFF
5TH fl eet of stores and has
confi rmed that this location
is just one of many anticipated
closures.
In total, Saks OFF 5TH
has 133 stores in the country,
which means that Saks will be
closing about 15 percent of its
SAKS OFF 5TH stores nationwide.
“These decisions are never
easy, but they are the right
ones for the company,” said an
HBC spokesperson. “We are
committed to offering support
and assistance to our team affected
by the closing - all eligible
associates will receive
appropriate employment separation
packages and transfer
opportunities will be explored
where feasible.
Barnes N’ Noble, who committed
to a return to the borough
within 24-36 months
after they left the Bay Plaza
Shopping Center in early 2017,
could not be reached for comment
as of press time.
In October 2014, when
Barnes & Noble was originally
slated to close, Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr. saved
the day at the eleventh hour,
securing a two-year lease extension
after negotiating a
deal with Prestige Properties.
Diaz, Jr. called it “a major victory
for the Bronx.”
Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto also played a role in
Barnes & Noble’s decision to
extend their lease, holding petition
drives and advocating
for the bookstore to stay in the
shopping center.
Saks OFF 5TH will close its doors at the end of October after just two years. Steven Goodstein / Schneps Media