WILTON, NY (NEWS10) – The Wilton Town Board says they expect an updated proposal for development of the Wilton Mall on May 4th. Councilman Ray O’Conor says they received a letter from the mall’s ownership group, Macerich, stating they intend on making a presentation at that meeting.

The current proposal has been met with challenges. “There’s this premise that if you put hundreds of apartments or townhomes there that it saves the mall, I don’t know that they’ve made that case yet,” said councilman Ray O’Conor. He says he’s not convinced mixed use apartments are the best solution. “To be quite candid some of the concerns ideas of members of the town board were dismissed, ignored and so that’s put the brakes on the chances of this project being approved,” said O’Conor.

O’Conor says he hopes the updated plans address more than just the residential components. He noted that many properties throughout the country have transitioned into entertainment centers and into alternate uses.

News 10 reached out to Macerich for an update and they’re directing all inquiries to their website, www.reimaginewiltonmall.com. Many recent comments on the sites’ forum call for recreation and entertainment.

Healthy Living, Planet Fitness and Saratoga Hospital have already successfully re-purposed former shopping spaces. O’Conor said solar companies have proposed installing arrays in the town of Wilton and he thinks the mall parking lots would be the perfection location. 

“I’ve provided them with some illustrations and examples and haven’t received any feedback on that yet,” said O’Conor.

For now, both town and developers agree. The more public feedback, the better.