NEW YORK CITY-The Bloomberg administration has struck a dealwith the Related Cos. and SterlingEquities, a real estate firm affiliated with the New YorkMets, to construct a one-million-square-foot retail andentertainment complex west of Citi Field. City officials announcedThursday morning that a parking lot adjacent to the stadium will beconverted into a vertical shopping complex comprised of 200 stores,a movie theater, restaurants, entertainment venues and a2,500-space parking garage.

The $1 billion mall development, called “Willets West,” fallsunder phase I of the redevelopment of the 62-acre zone. Under theplan, the developers are also planning to construct 4.5 millionsquare feet of mixed-use development, including 2,500 housingunits, 35% of which will be affordable; 900,000 square feet ofstreet level retail; and 500,000 square feet of office spaceserving Queens-based businesses. A 280-room hotel and five acres ofpublic space along 126^th Street is also in theworks.

The announcement follows a series negotiations in which the developer requestedless residential housing in favor of more retail space. Theentire $3 billion redevelopment plan—which will be built in threephases over the next nine years—will allow for up to 5,500 units ofhousing a convention center and a central eight-acre park.