Coming In November:
Flushing Mall Project 
Shopping For Diversity

By Angela Montefinise

Queens residents will have a colorful new place to shop in Queens this Christmas according to members of the development company F&T Group, who report that the Flushing Mall development — part of a $50 million renovation project for downtown Flushing — will be finished by Thanksgiving.

The Future: (top) An artist’s rendering of the completed expo. The Past: (bottom) Booming, bustling Flushing in the 1930’s, when development was widespread in the area.

Martin Soran, the mall’s project manager, said the two-story mall, bordered by 37th Avenue, 39th Avenue,  Prince Street and College Point Boulevard, is almost complete, with almost all of the store space already rented. “There are only a few stores left to rent,” Soran said. “We’re doing extremely well. We want to get up and running by Thanksgiving so the new stores can get ready for the Christmas rush.”

Soran explained that the mall includes space for about 70 stores, most of which are small companies without corporate backing. Dana Hawks, assistant manager of the mall, said, “Many of them are wholesalers looking for their own store or companies with one or two other stores throughout New York looking to expand. All of the stores are high quality.” Each store gets about 500 square feet of space, and a “light-up box” outside of their window to advertise their presence to potential patrons. Soran said companies were invited to open stores in the mall through advertising and sales meetings.

To ensure that a wide spectrum of businesses and people are attracted to the mall, Soran said F&T Group has approached a multi-cultural collection of stores and asked them to rent out space.  “We reached out to the NAACP, to Asian stores, to everyone,” he said. “We didn’t want this to be a strictly Asian complex because we want to pull people away from Roosevelt Field. That’s all people, not just Asians.” So far, Soran said the stores are multi-cultural, although there is a current push for Hispanic stores. “We’re reaching out to the Jackson Heights Chamber and places like that. We will represent everyone by the time we open.”

Before: The location where the mall is being built now was once  run-down and abandoned, with no development in the works. Photo courtesy of the F&T Group

The store section of the mall is designed to be extremely colorful, with neon lights, and neon multi-colored walls, floor tiles, and steps. A food court which will feature cuisine from all over the world is being put together, and a DJ booth is located above the first floor, with the goal of live music played constantly. Movie screens placed all over the mall will display music videos and television programs.

Soran said the space, “Can be rented for parties or conventions.” Mona Prophete, property manager of the mall, said, “We are really trying to attract kids. We want a young crowd, and the modern look and DJ booth will hopefully invite them to hang out in the mall.”

The store section of the mall will be completed by mid-November, and is already almost finished. Stores are renovating their units to make them suitable for their products and the F&T Group is working out  last-minute details but Soran said, “We’re right on schedule to open in mid-November.”

In addition to the store section, there will be a marketplace section with a fountain, information booths, and small vendor tables. “The marketplace is not a flea market, but will however offer a wide variety of choices at the right price,” Soran said. The marketplace is about 40,000 square feet, and will be in the middle of the mall. It will have a brick floor and two entrances. There are plans to open an internet cafe in the area, as well. Unlike the stores, the marketplace will not be open until Thanksgiving. So far, the fountain and foundation are in place, and plants have been placed inside, but that’s all.

Construction on the mall began about eight months ago, and included three parking lots in addition to the mall, structure. An office building was also constructed as a third floor to the mall and work began across Prince Street on the Prince Center, a state-of-the art office and retail co-op building that’s part of the renovation project. Space in that building is going for between $35 and $55 per square foot. Soran said the building, which will have underground parking, will be ready in the Spring, and space is still available. Soran said, “We built this thing fairly quickly considering. We’re excited about it.”

Soran is also excited about the construction of two hotels near the mall - a Best Western and a Dynasty Hotel - as a sign of downtown Flushing turning around. “Development is coming,” he said. “We hope someday to have a shuttle bus that goes from all the hotels in the area to the mall and back. That way we can introduce new people to our shopping area.” Soran also said there are plans to build an outdoor plaza across the street from the 39th Avenue side of the mall and hold a farmer’s market there in the spring, but nothing is official.

The modern construction of the mall, created by architect Wellington Chen, is another aspect of the project that Soran is proud of. “We have a lot of decoration and a modern look to the buildings,” Soran said. “It’s beautiful . . . Before we decided to start this project, there was a paint brush factory and an abandoned building on the land. Real eyesores. Now, we have a beautiful structure with neon lights and interesting construction. It’s wonderful for the neighborhood.”

Soran believes the mall will be a success because of its accessibility. “We have the 7 Train right there. Fifteen million people go through that train station each year . . . We have the LIRR and 29 bus terminals. And also we have plenty of parking. It should be great.”

Besides the actual mall, the F&T Group plans on building an Expo Center, an Entertainment Complex, a six-story Retail and Office Building, and a possible Hotel Complex. These will come in phases following the mall’s opening. No tentative dates have been set for breaking ground on the projects. By the end of construction, however, Soran said the F&T Group wants to create, “Times Square in Flushing.”