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SYOSSET, NY-Taubman Centers is looking to gain final approval to develop the mall at Oyster Bay, a $500-million mega-shopping mall here, by handing the decision over to the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County. The 39-acre project, which has been on the drawing boards for years, has run up against disapproval from the town board and has subsequently been put on hold without the necessary building permit.

The new 860,000-sf mall will be anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Barney's New York and will include 100 inline stores. An estimated $51 million in annual salaries from the mall is expected to benefit the local economy; as well as $8.6 million in real estate taxes and $26 million in sales taxes.

Taubman and the town have been unable to reach a consensus on the mall, despite an earlier courtruling, which told the developer that the mall construction was a matter for the town board and not the court system. In a release, Steve Kieras, senior vice president of development for Taubman, says, "Given our unsuccessful attempts to date to reach a settlement with the town, we are left with no choice but to re-enter the court house for the purpose of enforcing our right to build based on previous judicial decisions and our strategic commitment to serve the Long Island market."

Opponents of the mall say the development will negatively impact the traffic, safety, environment, quality of life and home values in the area, according to the Cerro Wire Coalition's website. The coalition is composed of 27 groups including a variety of local mom-and-pop retail businesses and several homeowners associations.

Prior to moving towards the courts again, Taubman offered the board a smaller version of the original 860,000-sf plan. However, the full-scale plan will go before the court since Kieras believes it will be approved as such.

The future site of the mall used to house the Cerro Wire factory, before Taubman cleared the building to make way for the mall.

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