Voters this November will be able to decide on lifting restrictions that would allow the Palisades Mall to expand.

Officials say the only way for the Palisades Mall to use the vacant area is for voters to lift the restrictions in November.

Businesses like Bronte Menswear, located in the mall, have bounced back from months closed due to COVID-19. "It's a family business, so it took a scare at the end of the day that we didn't know what was going to happen,” says Fausto Raposo, of Bronte Menswear.

The owner is backing the referendum this November that he believes would be the big break the mall needs. “It will definitely produce more revenue, more jobs and show people things are coming back,’ says Raposo. “We need to open up we need that sense of normalcy."

Town Supervisor George Hoehmann isn’t against occupying the space, saying in part, “They would have the ability to change, use the space upstairs, the ability to be able to change the footprint to the mall. They would be limited to how much bigger they can get, but they would have the ability to get slightly bigger as well."

The vote can impact 230,000 square feet being put to use, as well as an additional 250,000 square feet outdoors.

The referendum was previously denied by voters in 2002. Since then, online shopping has advanced and made competition in the retail world difficult.

Coresight Research estimates 25% of malls will close over the next five years.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day believes if the malls fail, $60 million in sales, property and school taxes may be at stake.

“Seventy-six percent of their shoppers come in from outside of the county. Those shoppers spend money, their money, here in Rockland and we get that money here to help with services in Rockland County,” says Day.

Rockland County residents can vote on this matter in the November election.