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Expansion Fits Queens Center Well

The newly expanded Queens Center Mall caters to the borough’s diverse residents. Tribune Photo By Ira Cohen

By Lee Landor

Where would hundreds of teens gather in Queens to eat, shop and socialize at 3:30 p.m. on a weekday in June? Their preferred spot is at the new, improved Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst. High school students poured into the sky lit center, which tripled its offerings after a two-year expansion and renovation from 2002 to 2004, to enjoy the clean, roomy space and community-oriented environment.

The $275 million project brought with it a new 14-restaurant food court, two parking garages with 1,900 spots, about 150 new stores, an additional floor for the center’s largest retailer, Macy’s, and thousands of Queens residents.

Only a year and a half since the renovation and 2.1 million visitors later, sales are surpassing initial expectations and overflowing into the neighborhood, according to Senior Property Manager for the Macerich Company, which owns the center, Jeffrey Owen.

The large increase in foot traffic is a result of a number of things, including the easily accessible location of the center, which sits right off the Queens Boulevard exit of the Long Island Expressway. The center and its surrounding area are in the middle of an active and flourishing environment where hundreds of people drive, walk and work daily.

And the center itself offers a larger, more versatile selection of stores and eateries, welcoming a broader consumer base. Not only have these factors produced a thriving atmosphere for the center, said Owen, but they’ve also amplified the volume of consumers visiting the neighborhood, bringing in more stores and causing several others to plan expansions.

Calling it an economic engine, Owen said the mall is becoming a town center for Queens. Upon the opening of the expansion, the center partnered with the Fund for Public Schools and created the Gift of Music Program, making music and arts a larger part of students’ learning experience. There is also a new soft play area that provides entertainment for children, and couches and chairs line empty common areas, affording people the chance to sit and relax after walking around the 1 million square feet of retail space.

The Queens Center Mall also holds events to bring people together and create a community feel to the mall. The center held a Flag Day celebration and a swear-in-ceremony for new citizens on the third level on Wednesday, June 14, an event they hope to continue annually, according to Owen.

With seasonal decorations hanging from the walls and ceiling, the center is festive year-round, keeping visitors vibrant as they shop and lounge. Applicants for jobs at the center, like visitors, are abundant. With many new stores that have hefty customer traffic, the opportunities for employment are tremendous, according to Owen. He said that what’s appealing to applicants about the center is that it is an active, growing environment located in their community, close to their homes.

As young visitors leave the center, others swarm in through the doors in a continuous renewal of faces looking to eat, lounge, shop and mingle. On the weekends, the center is crowded, full of laughter and multi-lingual conversations that represent the diverse culture of Queens.