New GM Sees Bright Future for Jefferson Valley Mall
The new general manager of the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights is signaling a lot of positive changes on the horizon for the shopping center.
Ken Hamilton, a resident of Waldwick, N.J., recently was appointed to the post by Simon Property Group, which owns and manages the mall. Hamilton has 27 years of experience in operations, facilities and property management. He joined Simon Property Group in 2006 and has held various management positions with the company’s New Jersey properties, including Newport Centre in Jersey City, Livingston Mall in Livingston, Menlo Park Mall in Edison and Brunswick Square in East Brunswick. During his time at Livingston Mall, he was a key member of the leadership team that oversaw a major renovation of the property, adding new amenities such as updated restrooms, a play area, a food court, redesigned mall entrances and many other upgrades.
Hamilton has also served director of standards and housekeeping for Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square. While there, he supervised daily maintenance of the one-million-square-foot facility and coordinated the cleanup after major annual events, including Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and July Fourth Fireworks. He has also held management positions at Victoria’s Secret and Sears. He holds a bachelor’s degree psychology from Hofstra University in Hempstead.
Having assumed his new post on June 4, Hamilton said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen so far.
“It’s a great center,” he said. “We’ve got a great group of people here. We’ve got some wonderful tenants, and a loyal, very passionate customer base.
He added that there’s also room for improvement at the mall.
“We’re trying to spruce up things and make it a better shopping experience for our customers and for the people that work here,” he said.
Among the changes on the horizon at the mall are a new family-style Italian restaurant, Buca di Beppo, which is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Buca di Beppo is a chain of restaurants that has locations in more than 20 U.S. states as well as England and Mexico, but the new location will be only its second in New York.
Hamilton said another new addition to the mall will be Francesca’s Collections, a boutique offering the latest in women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, and gifts. That store is set to open in early 2013.
“There are a couple other things in the works that I’m not at liberty to say,” he added, “but there’s a lot more good [coming] in the near future for the property.”
Jefferson Valley Mall is located on Route 6, 1/4 mile east of the Taconic State Parkway in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. For the latest mall events and retailer updates, visit www.jeffersonvalleymall.com or www.facebook.com/JeffersonValley, or follow the mall on Twitter: @JeffersonValley.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
