Sunrise Mall Koi Fish Are Being Given New Homes

MASSAPEQUA, NY — The new owners of the Sunrise Mall, Urban Edge Properties, have plans to redevelop the property. But the mall's closure left some wondering about one of it's biggest features — ponds filled with dozens of beautiful koi.

But Urban Edge announced that it has plans to relocated the fish, keeping them safe as it moves on with the property.

After discussions with professional aquarists, Urban Edge said that half of the more than 50 koi have already been relocated to schools in the area. They have been taken to the Nassau BOCES Carman Road School and Oyster Bay High School, both of which have programs that incorpoarte animal care, including koi ponds, into curriculum.

The remaining fish will soon be transported to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. Staff at the aquarium are preparing an environment for the fish, which is currently home to several varieties of koi.

“We have no doubt that the environment and trained staff at the aquarium and schools will provide the ideal atmosphere for the fish to live long, safe and healthy lives," said Coleen Conklin, vice president of Urban Edge Properties.

The koi have been a staple of the Sunrise Mall for more than 30 years, and were loved by many shoppers there. The remaining fish are under professional care during the transition to the aquarium. The Sunrise Mall management team has provided a hotline so that the hundreds of questions regarding the future of the koi could be addressed.

A few stores at the Sunrise Mall — those with their own exterior entrances — are still open. But Urban Edge has not been renewing the leases of most tenants, slowly closing down the shopping center. The developer has not yet said what it plans to do with the site, but said that it would not be redeveloping the mall into a residential site.