After years of court battles and fleeing tenants, a new chapter may be beginning soon for ShoppingTown Mall in DeWitt.

"This is a big day for the future of this property, for the county overall," said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon at a press conference on Wednesday.

He announced a joint group of four local development firms have been selected to buy and redevelop the property.

OHB Redev LLC, which is made up of Redev CNY, Hueber-Breuer Construction, DalPos Architects and Housing Visions will lead the transition to what will be known as District East.

The goal is to turn the property into five districts, which include residential housing, entertainment, restaurants and hospitality, retail and office space, the county said.

Additionally, approximately 400 constructions jobs will be needed over the course of the redevelopment and another 1,400 full-time, permanent jobs are projected once fully redeveloped.

It's good news to Onondaga County 7th District Legislator Mary Kuhn.

"We don't have much in the way of senior housing here. DeWitt and the county could really use more tax base," she said.

"We envision a significant alteration to the existing premises, and I would estimate [demolition] in terms of 50% or greater of the existing structure. We're looking to really take the roof off and create a beautiful outdoor amenity-rich space," said Ryan Benz, an OHB Redev partner.

It's the latest chapter in a years-long saga that has been highlighted by the county executive since he took over the position in 2018. McMahon regularly publicly criticized the mall owner for years of unpaid back taxes while tenants continued to move out.

“We could not be more excited to celebrate this new chapter for the ShoppingTown Mall site," McMahon said in a statement. "With the selection of OHB to redevelop this site, our community can finally look forward to reading about grand openings, job openings and progress instead of tax evasion and closures. This investment will result in real opportunities for people of all socio-economic levels, produce sales tax dollars that help us fund County government and keep property taxes low and most importantly continue our momentum we transition to economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

OHB Redev LLC will purchase the property for $8 million. Over the next several years, they will invest at least $300 million into the site, according to the county.

“The ShoppingTown site is both an incredible opportunity and a massive undertaking, and we are honored to be selected by the County to advance this important regional project. In everything we do, we focus on building a CNY – the place we raise our children – to become a better, more vibrant and just place," said Benz.

The development team is encouraging feedback from the community through a portal on the project website.

It's exciting news for many, but there are still some things to consider. For one, the former Macy's and Sears stores at the mall are owned independently.

"I think the development team's intention is to negotiate in good faith to get those parcels," McMahon said.

There are more steps. McMahon said a PILOT agreement needs to be negotiated before executing a contract agreement.