As Chief Leasing & Development Officer of Lesso Mall Development (Long Island), Inc., dba Samanea New York, Dominic Coluccio is responsible for the rebranding and repositioning of an iconic Long Island shopping destination – the former “Fortunoff Mall at the Source” in Westbury.
Located along one of L.I.’s most-traveled retail corridors, the location recently underwent a $30 million renovation designed to repurpose the property into a lifestyle destination offering selective retail, entertainment and international cuisine. In his role, Coluccio spearheads the leasing strategy, redevelopment, tenant, broker and community relations, contract negotiations, and marketing of the property.
Coluccio joined Lesso Mall Development (Long Island), Inc. in 2019, when the 750,000-square-foot property and 38-acre shopping complex was mostly vacant at 21% percent capacity.
Today, following a global pandemic and uncertain retail outlook, Coluccio has helped orchestrate Samanea New York’s ambitious redevelopment and expansion by increasing occupancy to 67%. Working with the brokerage team at Colliers International’s and his team at Lesso Mall Development, Coluccio is responsible for transforming Samanea NY into a preferred destination for several entertainment, restaurant, and retail brands.
Today, as a result of Coluccio’s impressive business acumen and ability to maintain strong momentum for himself and his team, Samanea New York has welcomed Bloomingdale’s Rug & Furniture Outlet, the first anchor tenant to open at the property in almost 20 years; signed the first 99 Ranch Grocery Market, and is preparing their Grand Opening by end of Q1 2022; formulated the property’s restaurant row by inking multiple deals with a host of well-established international cuisine names including the high-end Pan-Asian restaurant, MoCa Asian Bistro; and signed entertainment leases with Empire Adventure Park, a premier family entertainment center, and X-Golf, a state-of-the-art golf simulator; and recently inked a deal with one of the largest rock climbing franchises in the country, Gravity Vault, making Samanea NY the only Long Island mall to offer a rock climbing center as well as first-to-market tenants.
“Dominic has successfully engaged the brokerage community to create success, which in the current retail environment, is no small feat,” said Herb Agin, CEO, Colliers International. “He has also admirably worked through prior issues with dogged determination and creativity, and has secured tenancies such as Bloomingdale’s and 99 Ranch that have already begun to revitalize the property and achieve market prominence.”
Coluccio advocates giving back to the community in every way he can and his actions underscore that commitment. He has welcomed the East Meadow Public Library to utilize space at Samanea NY, arranged for the Girls Scouts of Nassau County to utilize space as a cookie distribution center, and has established agreements to host multiple community events including outdoor arts and collectibles fairs and indoor events such as the recent food expo with Dine-LI and upcoming Dreamland Amusement Park to operate an outdoor carnival during each summer.
A member of the Real Estate Board of New York, International Council of Shopping Centers, and Association for a Better Long Island, Coluccio bridges his commercial real estate career with retail management, having enhanced customer service, sales and community engagement at D. Coluccio & Sons, Inc., a third-generation specialty food importer and distributor established by his Italian-immigrant grandfather and father in 1962.
Previous professional successes include external communications for Girl Scouts of the USA and executive management in ground transportation for the City of NY during the Bloomberg Administration. He has been named a “Ones to Watch” in 2021 by the New York Real Estate Journal, is the recipient of the Long Island Business News “Rising Star in Real Estate 2021,” has been named a “Who’s Who in Commercial Real Estate” by Long Island Business News.
A rising star and influencer among influencers in the Long Island retail and commercial real estate sector, Coluccio is a passionate professional who is working tirelessly to redevelop, resurrect and reposition one of Nassau County’s best-known retail locations.
