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Retailer Reconsidering Rego Park Mall Site
By Lisa Fogarty
Rego Park Center has already lost one retail giant and may be losing another.
Just weeks after Circuit City closed shop, Home Depot, the second largest retailer in the United States, expressed uncertainty about its deal to rent a significant portion of the shopping center’s 950,000 total retail square feet.
“We’re currently reviewing various options with the landlord on their site, but no decision has been made,” said Home Depot spokeswoman Jennifer King. “We’re trying to determine the best decision going forward.”
The home improvement specialty retailer, which operates eight stores in Queens, has suffered a net loss of $54 million in the fiscal 2008 fourth quarter and recently reported its sales for fiscal 2008 were $71.3 billion, 7.8 percent below fiscal 2007. Future predictions weren’t rose-colored, either, with the company already expecting a 9 percent decline in sales in 2009.
“We expect the home improvement market in 2009 will remain just as challenging as 2008, but we will continue to invest in our associates and stores to set a strong foundation for the long term health of our company,” said Frank Blake, chairman and CEO of Home Depot.
Vornado Realty Trust, which owns Rego Park Center, has not altered its signage or Web site, both of which suggest Home Depot will still open in the coming months. At press time, the site still contained information about Circuit City, which was located on the first phase of Rego Park Center, which also houses Sears, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Marshall’s and Old Navy. The new phase, slated to open later this year, is scheduled to include Home Depot, Century 21 and Kohl’s.
Vornado did not return calls about Home Depot or what establishment is expected to take over Circuit City’s space.
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