Taubman says Syosset mall plan not dead

Bill Taubman, chief operating officer of Minneapolis-based Taubman Centers Inc., which has been stymied for 17 years in its effort to build an upscale mall on the old Cerro Wire property in Syosset, has a few choice words for doubters of his project: It's not dead yet.

Taubman's project seemed to take a blow in early March when Neiman Marcus announced it would open its first full-line store on Long Island at Roosevelt Field in Garden City. Neiman Marcus had once hoped to locate at the Taubman mall.

"I'm highly confident in our ability to create a compelling alternative," Taubman said in a brief Newsday interview. He has, he said, been meeting with Long Island business leaders to build support.

Association for a Better Long Island executive director Desmond Ryan said he did not doubt Taubman's ability to attract another upscale retailer. But, Ryan said, "he still must be able to rectify his issues with the town" of Oyster Bay, which opposes the mall.