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....April 20, 4:31 PM |
| A ‘Wait And See’ Attitude: Community Glad For Growth, But Fears Its Effects
By ANDREW MOESEL The scene at Atlas Park this week would put the busiest ant colony to shame: construction workers inhabited every corner of the nearly completed shopping center, hammering, wiring, polishing, drilling and otherwise putting the finishing touches on the many storefronts, floors, windows and signs.
With the grand opening less than two weeks away, the project appeared rough around the edges – most stores ready but unstocked, the landscaping sparse and dirty – but the eventual face of an elegant retail center had appeared. Developers have touted the new Atlas Park as a unique shopping experience for the residents of Queens, and at least on the surface, the project doesn’t resemble anything else in the borough. It comes across as part suburban mall, part Fifth Avenue, and part Greek Parthenon. “The classic architecture of the new buildings and innovative renovation of buildings nearly a century old, all surrounding a 2.3-acre park, have created an experience unlike any other in New York City,” said Dale Hemmerdinger, the project’s developer. But as the April 27 opening approaches, feelings among community members are mixed between opportunistic excitement and a slight weariness about the impact the development will have on the neighborhood. Most familiar with the development are confident it will be a success, but success breeds traffic, crowds and change. The Nickel Tour Hemmerdinger recently led a Queens Tribune reporter on a tour of the shopping center as workers hustled to finish by the deadline. He assured the reporter that despite the mess, the Shops at Atlas Park, its proper name, would be opening on time. The layout of the development consists of three white buildings, decorated with arches and pillars, surrounding a circular park complete with a fountain and a coffee shop. An old brick building sits slightly to the south, which will house an Amish Market, and an unfinished fifth structure to the north will be completed sometime later in the year. Very little of the buildings’ common spaces – for instance, the hallways between stores – are enclosed, leaving them at least partially open to the elements. This decision allows for a variety of shopping experiences as the seasons changes, Hemmerdinger said, instead of the generic stroll through a temperature-controlled mall. “People today are looking for different experiences,” he said. “Our research shows this kind of project works well in this type of development.” All the shops face inward and are connected with footpaths, a technique meant to give the project the feel of a town center. Neither storefronts nor parking will be accessible from the street. Cars must enter one of three entrances, two off Cooper Avenue and one off 80th Street, that lead through the shopping center and into two parking garages. The traffic design within the park could cause confusion during the first few weeks, Hemmerdinger said, but he believes visitors would eventually become comfortable with it. A similar adjustment period likely would apply to the roads outside the shopping center as well, he said. “Within a few months, everyone will not remember what it was like before the project,” Hemmerdinger said. “It will take some time, but it will work its way into the community.” Next week, Atlas Park plans to begin its “soft opening,” meaning stores will gradually open as they are completed. There are 14 stores slated to open immediately, including Stein Mart, Aerosoles, Gymboree, Jos. A. Bank, Coldwater Creek, Chico’s, J. Jill, and Claire’s. A Regal Cinema, Johnny Rockets and California Pizza Kitchen, among other businesses, will follow in coming months. To date, three quarters of the existing space has been leased, and about half of the total development, Hemmerdinger said. By the Christmas season, when the project will be fully open, he anticipates 75-80 percent occupancy. Cautious Optimism The Shops at Atlas Park is nestled in the heart of Middle Village, a straight shot from the middle class communities of Forest Hills, Rego Park and Maspeth. With little comparable upscale shopping in the area, the project targets the 130,000 households nearby with incomes greater than $75,000. |
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