Gateway Center
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGateway Center is a two-part suburban-style shopping complex in the Spring Creek section of East New York, Brooklyn.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Gateway Center is a large retail complex in the Spring Creek section of East New York, Brooklyn, New York City. It is also known as Gateway Plaza Mall or Gateway Mall and forms part of the broader Gateway Estates redevelopment project. The complex occupies a former landfill site north of the Belt Parkway near Erskine Street and Gateway Drive, close to the Gateway National Recreation Area and the communities now known as Spring Creek Towers, Nehemiah Spring Creek, Gateway Elton, and The Fountain Seaview. The property was developed as a suburban-style shopping destination rather than as a traditional enclosed urban mall. Its buildings use brick façades, green trim, and Georgian architectural references. GreenbergFarrow Architects designed the original southern section, while GreenbergFarrow and Perkins Eastman contributed to the northern expansion. Large surface parking areas, road access from the Belt Parkway, and bus connections are central to the center's operating model. Gateway Center South opened on October 1, 2002. The approximately 640,000-square-foot first phase was anchored by large-format retailers including Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and BJ's Wholesale Club. Its construction was part of a public and private redevelopment effort intended to replace a heavily degraded former landfill area with retail, housing, parkland, schools, transportation improvements, and employment opportunities. The project reportedly created about 1,700 jobs at opening, although the center's tenant mix has changed over time. A second section, known as Gateway Center North or Gateway Center II, was developed after rezoning and planning work in the late 2000s. It is approximately 605,000 square feet and includes additional parking, smaller freestanding retail buildings, a restaurant building, a bank facility, and a bus terminal area. The expansion opened in stages beginning August 1, 2014. Its announced and operating tenants included JCPenney, TJ Maxx, ShopRite, and Aldi. The two sections together created a major regional shopping node for southeastern Brooklyn and nearby neighborhoods. Gateway Center's history is closely linked to the environmental and planning history of Spring Creek. The site had been marshland and creek country, followed by landfill use and decades of vacancy and illegal dumping. In the late twentieth century it was considered for housing and urban renewal. The New York City Council amended the Fresh Creek Urban Renewal Plan in 1996 to enable the Gateway Estates program, and construction on the shopping center began in November 2000. Related Companies was the principal development organization associated with the center and also participated in other major New York real-estate projects. Transportation improvements accompanied the retail development. A new Belt Parkway interchange at the southern end of Erskine Street was built in connection with the project. Bus service was progressively expanded, with the B13, B83, Q8, and B84 serving the center or its nearby terminal facilities. The closest subway connections are generally reached by bus from New Lots Avenue and Rockaway Parkway stations. The center has continued to evolve through tenant openings, closures, and surrounding residential development. In 2024, Nordstrom Rack announced that it would close its Gateway Center location, and Outback Steakhouse also closed. A Chick-fil-A opened in December 2024, while a Lidl grocery store opened in January 2025. Nearby retail and housing projects, including the Erskine Shops and Alafia development, may increase activity around the complex, although those projects are not themselves part of Gateway Center. Gateway Center remains an active retail destination, but detailed ownership, financial, and current tenant information is not consistently disclosed in the available reference material.
History
The land occupied by Gateway Center was originally part of the marshes and creek systems of Spring Creek in southeastern Brooklyn. A landfill operated on or near the site from the 1930s until 1950. After landfill operations ended, the property remained largely vacant and was reportedly used for illegal dumping. Its sandy, undeveloped landscape became known as the Vandalia Dunes and supported bird habitat, including Henslow's sparrows. In 1967, the area was incorporated into the Fresh Creek Urban Renewal Area. In 1989, Starrett Housing Corporation acquired the tract for a proposed mixed-income housing development. That plan was not carried out, but the property later became part of a larger redevelopment concept for Spring Creek. On June 25, 1996, the New York City Council amended the Fresh Creek Urban Renewal Plan to permit Gateway Estates. The program combined commercial development with housing, schools, parkland, and infrastructure improvements, with the stated goals of reducing blight and crime and generating jobs in East New York. Construction of Gateway Center began on November 16, 2000. The first phase was developed by The Related Companies and designed by GreenbergFarrow Architects. Planned as a suburban-style strip mall, the project used Georgian-inspired brick architecture, green trim, large surface parking areas, and a layout designed primarily for automobile access. A new Belt Parkway interchange at the southern end of Erskine Street was also constructed in connection with the project. Gateway Center South opened on October 1, 2002, at a reported development cost of $192 million. The approximately 640,000-square-foot complex was anchored by Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and BJ's Wholesale Club. The opening was associated with approximately 1,700 jobs. Related Companies also built an addition to Spring Creek Park around the shopping center; that park improvement opened on May 2, 2003. Public transportation service expanded after the first phase opened. The B13 was extended to the area in April 2003, followed by the B83 in September 2007 and the Q8 in June 2008. The B84 route was created in June 2013 to serve Spring Creek. In August 2014, the B13, B83, and Q8 were extended to a bus terminal area at the western end of the new northern complex. A second phase was proposed by Related Companies in early 2007. The plan called for a retail complex of roughly the same scale as the first phase, together with additional parking and a bus terminal. In March 2009, the City Council rezoned 21 acres for the expansion. The Walmart corporation was reported in 2010 to be considering the site for its first New York City store. Although some local and citywide polling indicated support, community opposition contributed to the abandonment of the proposal. ShopRite was subsequently selected as an anchor tenant instead. Construction of Gateway Center North began in early 2014. The approximately 605,000-square-foot section opened in stages starting August 1, 2014. It included JCPenney, TJ Maxx, ShopRite, Aldi, smaller outlet buildings, an Applebee's building, a bank facility, and a new parking and bus-terminal arrangement. A possible third expansion was discussed in 2015, but the available reference material does not establish that it was completed as a formal Gateway Center phase. The complex has continued to change through tenant turnover and nearby development. In 2024, Nordstrom Rack announced the closure of its Gateway Center store, and Outback Steakhouse closed its restaurant. Chick-fil-A opened in December 2024 and Lidl opened in January 2025. Nearby projects such as the Erskine Shops, The Fountain Seaview, and Alafia housing development have added or proposed retail space in the surrounding area, but they are separate from Gateway Center. The center remains an active retail complex serving Brooklyn neighborhoods through a combination of large-format stores, grocery retailers, dining, services, parking, and bus access.
- 2025
Lidl opens
[1]Lidl opened a grocery supermarket at the complex in January 2025.
- 2024
Major tenant changes
[1]Nordstrom Rack announced a closure and Outback Steakhouse closed, while Chick-fil-A opened later in the year.
- 2014
Gateway Center North opens
[1]The approximately 605,000-square-foot northern complex began opening in stages on August 1, 2014.
- 2013
B84 bus service created
[1]The B84 bus route was introduced to serve the Spring Creek neighborhood.
- 2009
Expansion land rezoned
[1]Approximately 21 acres were rezoned for the second Gateway Center phase.
- 2003
Spring Creek Park improvement opens
[1]An addition to Spring Creek Park built as part of the surrounding redevelopment opened on May 2, 2003.
- 2002
Gateway Center South opens
[1]The original approximately 640,000-square-foot retail complex opened on October 1, 2002.
- 2000
Gateway Center construction begins
[1]Groundbreaking for the first Gateway Center phase took place on November 16, 2000.
- 1996
Gateway Estates plan enabled
[1]The New York City Council amended the Fresh Creek Urban Renewal Plan to facilitate the Gateway Estates redevelopment.
- 1989
Starrett Housing Corporation acquires the tract
[1]Starrett Housing Corporation acquired the land for a mixed-income housing proposal that was not ultimately developed.
Products and positioning
A car-oriented, suburban-format regional shopping center serving East New York, southeastern Brooklyn, and surrounding residential communities through large-format retail, grocery, dining, services, extensive parking, and direct road and bus access.
Retail complex · 2002
Gateway Center South
The original Gateway Center structure opened in 2002 as an approximately 640,000-square-foot suburban-format shopping complex. It includes several major large-format retail buildings, extensive surface parking, and access from Gateway Drive and the Belt Parkway. Its reported anchor tenants have included Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and BJ's Wholesale Club, although individual store occupancy can change.
Retail complex · 2014
Gateway Center North
Also called Gateway Center II, the northern section is an approximately 605,000-square-foot expansion that opened in stages beginning in 2014. It added a second major parking area, smaller freestanding retail buildings, restaurant and banking facilities, and a bus terminal area. Its announced and operating tenant mix included JCPenney, TJ Maxx, ShopRite, and Aldi.
Retail and dining services
Gateway Center tenant and services mix
Gateway Center's customer offering is built around large-format general merchandise, home improvement, electronics, wholesale, grocery, apparel, restaurants, and neighborhood services. Tenant changes documented in the reference material include the arrival of Chick-fil-A in December 2024 and Lidl in January 2025, as well as the closure of Nordstrom Rack and Outback Steakhouse in 2024.
Brand decisions
2014
Launch of Gateway Center NorthGeneration changeBackground
The first Gateway Center phase had established a large-format retail destination, while the surrounding redevelopment created demand for additional stores and services.
Action taken
A second approximately 605,000-square-foot complex opened in stages, adding new retail buildings, parking, restaurants, banking facilities, and bus-terminal infrastructure.
Aftermath
The two-part complex became a larger regional shopping destination for southeastern Brooklyn.
2010
Walmart proposal replaced by ShopRite anchorStrategyBackground
Walmart was reported to be considering Gateway Center for its first New York City store, but the proposal faced opposition from local residents.
Action taken
The Walmart plan was abandoned and the developers signed ShopRite as an anchor tenant for the planned northern expansion.
Aftermath
Gateway Center North opened with ShopRite among its principal grocery and retail tenants.
2007
Plan for a second Gateway Center phaseStrategyBackground
The original complex was positioned as the first phase of a larger commercial redevelopment in Spring Creek.
Action taken
Related Companies proposed a second complex of comparable scale with additional parking and a bus terminal area.
Aftermath
The expansion site was rezoned in 2009 and construction eventually began in 2014.
1996
Redevelopment under the Gateway Estates planStrategyBackground
The former landfill and vacant Spring Creek tract required a broader urban-renewal framework to support commercial development, housing, schools, open space, and infrastructure.
Action taken
The New York City Council amended the Fresh Creek Urban Renewal Plan to enable Gateway Estates, the redevelopment program that included Gateway Center.
Aftermath
The plan led to construction of the first retail phase, related housing and park improvements, and transportation upgrades.
Sources1 sources
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