The producers of MegaMall, a documentary about the Palisades Center, talk about the impact of the mall on Rockland County in an interview at SmartPlanet.com. The film includes scenes from town hall meetings and interviews with residents, mall officials and activists. Melanie D.G. Kaplan spoke with producers Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow about their 14 years in-the-making film chronicling the mall’s journey from a toxic waste dump to one of the largest shopping centers in the U.S.
Despite their initial intent to remain neutral, the producers were swayed by mall opponents’ arguments after reviewing documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. “The mall had very specific promises on tax relief and jobs,” says Mondale. “They said taxes would go down, and that hasn’t happened.” Mondale adds that although the Palisades Center has been good for state tax revenues, it has done little for the adjacent towns and communities.
