Aug. 29--QUEENSBURY -- Bucking economic trends that have been battering retailers across the country, Aviation Mall is planning a significant expansion.

Owner Pyramid Cos. of Syracuse has submitted plans to the town of Queensbury to add three new buildings and expand the existing Regal Cinemas, a project that would enlarge the mall off Northway Exit 19 by 136,000 square feet. It now has 670,000 square feet of space.

The expansion was first reported Thursday by The Chronicle, a weekly newspaper in Glens Falls. Citing sources with knowledge of the plans, the paper said possible tenants are a Best Buy superstore and a Red Robin restaurant.

Bob Orlando, general manager for the mall, declined to reveal any prospective tenants, saying no leases have been signed. But he noted there is demand in Warren County for national retailers, despite the poor economy that has shut chain stores and restaurants nationwide.

"This particular project, we've been working on doing this for a number of years," he said. "It's going to bring retailers to this market that we don't have right now."

Pyramid would knock down the vacant Howard Johnson's restaurant and motel on land it owns near Exit 19 as part of the project. A 6,400-square-foot stand-alone restaurant would be built on the site, said Queensbury zoning administrator Craig Brown.

A 93,000-square-foot, two-story building would be built on the slope facing the mall's JC Penney anchor to house big-box retailers, and an 11,500-square-foot mixed-use building would be built across the mall access road from a Friendly's restaurant.

The seven-screen movie theater would be expanded by 65,000 square feet, the site plan shows. Brown said the plans, submitted Aug. 15, likely will go before the town planning and zoning boards next month.

Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a Chicago restaurant-chain consulting company, said that despite a woeful retail environment, bringing in a new chain restaurant to a region can work -- especially if it has a special menu, such as the burgers at Red Robin. Publicly traded Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. currently has restaurants in Latham and Halfmoon.

"In the U.S., there are still pockets of opportunity," Tristano said. "It's kind of like when a Wal-Mart comes to a small town."

It's unclear how the expansion at Aviation Mall fits into previously announced plans by Pyramid to sell its portfolio of 20 malls in New York and Massachusetts. Pyramid also owns Crossgates Mall in Guilderland and Crossgates Commons in Albany.

Pyramid officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Rulison can be reached at 454-5505 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com.

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