DEWITT, N.Y. — The town of DeWitt is trying to open the door for future redevelopment.

Places like ShoppingTown Mall have seen a sharp decline in recent years. With that in mind, the planning board is considering rezoning some areas to allow for mixed use development.

It would give property owners an additional selling point, and open the door to a new, more walkable DeWitt.

"This proposal for adopting mixed-use is really the trend we're seeing for the redevelopment of older shopping centers. They're moving towards a mixed-use model," said Samuel Gordon, Town Of Dewitt Planning And Zoning Director.

The DeWitt town board still needs to review the legislation.

Officials say depending on the size of the project, redevelopment can take anywhere from one year to a decade or longer.