This Winter at Cross County Center, the Holidays Fit Between The Green and Center Court

Where does a 1.15-million-square-foot shopping center put its holiday season? At Cross County Center this year, it all goes on The Green, the lawn in the middle of the property, and on Center Court next to it. The center scheduled the lighting of its 40-foot tree there for November 13. The food trucks park on The Green. Santa's cabin and the pop-up rink are a few steps away at Center Court.

Meanwhile, the north lot at the edge of the property is a construction site. Marx Realty, which owns the center, is building a four-acre park there and calls it the center's future "front door," with space set aside for seasonal events. So the 2026 season is happening in one small central space while the larger space meant to host it is still being built.

The Season, Stop by Stop

Since everything is clustered in the middle of the property, one walk covers it all. Here is the season as it stands this week:

The rink isn't real ice. It's a smooth "glice" surface. Skaters wear real skates and move a little slower than on ice, and the center's rink page notes that it isn't as cold. Skaters must be at least 5 years old or 42 inches tall, no reservations are needed, and hours can change with the weather.

The food trucks cover four cuisines. According to the Holiday Food Truck Market listing, El Patio serves Dominican food, Matrix on the Go serves Jamaican, YumBro serves Asian fusion and Grey's Taco Fusion serves Mexican fusion. Decorated igloo seating areas are set up around the center, and hours are extended the week before Christmas.

The Santa photos page also lists some themed evenings:

• Pet Night: Mondays, November 23 and 30 and December 7 and 14, 4 to 7 p.m.
• Cowboy Claus: Wednesdays, November 25 and December 2 and 9, 4 to 7 p.m.
• Sensory Santa: Sunday, December 6, 9 to 10:30 a.m., before the usual crowds

On December 7, Pet Night at the Santa cabin overlaps with the menorah lighting near H&M, so one evening covers both.

What Is Going Up Behind the Fencing

Ground broke on the north lot on Friday, May 29. Daily Voice reported that Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano attended the ceremony with the developers and community leaders. The plan adds 58,000 square feet of retail in two buildings: a 14,000-square-foot building and a two-story, 44,000-square-foot building meant for a national apparel retailer's "super flagship." An underground parking garage and the four-acre park are also part of it. News 12 reported a completion target of fall 2027.

This is a big project by the center's standards. Daily Voice called it the first major ground-up retail expansion at Cross County since restaurant buildings were added in 2015 and the redevelopment that brought in Target in 2023. The Journal News put the cost at $90 million.

The construction site used to be surface parking. The site plan the Yonkers Planning Board approved in November 2024 moves 143 surface spaces into a new 201-space garage under the site. The Journal News reported that the work is being done in phases so nearby businesses stay accessible, and that the garage will have elevator access. In its own account of the project in Westfair, the center said parking stays free throughout construction.

A Park Drawn Around the Jobs The Green Does Now

The park's design is built around the kind of programming that currently squeezes onto The Green. Daily Voice listed landscaped lawn, a boardwalk, tree-lined walkways, seating, gathering spaces and flexible areas for farmers markets, wellness events and Summer Fest. The center's Westfair piece adds an allée of trees and café-style seating.

Marx Realty CEO Craig Deitelzweig explained the goal in a March interview with The Journal News:

"We want this to be the town center. Our goal is to have people who want to come to the center starting in the morning and staying all the way through the evening."

The same article says the park will make room for new events, including concerts, picnics, farmers markets and soccer games, or for expanding programs the center already runs, such as its holiday celebrations, summer festivals and yoga and Zumba classes. This season's schedule shows how much those programs already ask of the current space. The center's program for opening night on November 13 put a tree lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus, strolling characters, an electric train ride, food trucks, a DJ and selfie spots all on The Green. The planned park is four acres, and Deitelzweig told the paper the center will "make sure this space is really activated."

The Stores Filling In Before the New Buildings Open

Demand for space at the center explains why the owner is expanding instead of just maintaining what it has. As of March, The Journal News reported that the center was 97% leased and drew about 14 million visitors a year. It also reported that about 88% of the planned 58,000 square feet was already spoken for, more than a year before completion. The same article cited CoStar data showing Westchester's mall vacancy rate fell to 1% in 2024, compared with a national average of 8.7%. That gap helps explain why this center is adding space while the former Galleria at White Plains has closed.

While the north lot is under construction, the existing buildings keep changing too. Coach opened a 3,400-square-foot store in September between Savage X Fenty and Garage, the Business Council of Westchester reported. The center's Westfair piece listed Elite Spa & Nail Salon as a recent opening, a remodeled American Eagle, and a new ear-piercing station at Claire's. CAVA, Levi's and Build-A-Bear arrived the year before. The Journal News also named Crocs and Crumbl Cookies among the stores slated to open.

Timing a Visit Around the Season

Each event has its own schedule, so a few details are useful when planning a trip from Lawrence Park West or Cedar Knolls:

1. Plan food around Wednesday to Sunday. The trucks don't serve Monday or Tuesday, so a Monday Pet Night visit means eating at one of the center's restaurants instead.
2. Skip the 3 p.m. hour for Santa. That's when he takes his cookie break, though the timing can shift.
3. Bring a card to the rink. It doesn't accept cash, and sessions start on the hour.
4. Book Christmas Eve now. Santa photo reservations are optional every other day but required on December 24.
5. Note the closing date. The rink and the food truck market both end on January 3, 2027.

Whatever happens on the north lot over the next year, the tree, rink, Santa cabin and food trucks are all a short walk apart on The Green and Center Court through the holidays.

If you live near Cross County and want to know how a $90 million commercial project down the road might fit into your own long-term plans at home, Sheila Stoltz follows these changes closely and is glad to talk them through. Let's Connect.