Queens Place Mall
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox shopping mall
| name = Queens Place
| image = Queens Place Mall jeh.JPG
| image_width = 270px
| caption = Queens Place Mall in 2009
| location = Elmhurst, New York
| coordinates = {{Coord|40.735743|-73.874267|display=inline,title|type:landmark}}
| address = 88-01 Queens Boulevard
| opening_date = {{Start date and age|1965|10|11}}
| developer = Macy's
| manager = Madison International Realty
| owner = Madison International Realty
| architect = Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
| number_of_stores = 11
| number_of_anchors = 3
| floor_area = {{convert|440000|sqft|abbr=on}}
| parking = 6
| publictransit = {{rint|newyork|subway}} {{rint|newyork|mta}} New York City Subway: {{NYCS trains|Queens local day|time=bullets}} at Grand Avenue–Newtown
{{bus icon}} {{rint|newyork|mta}} NYC Bus: {{NYC bus link|Q59|Q60}}
| floors = 5
| website = {{URL|shopqueensplace.com}}
| footnotes =
}}
Queens Place is an urban shopping mall in Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Just northwest of the larger Queens Center, it is located on Queens Boulevard between 55th and 56th Avenues. The building was constructed in 1965 as Macy's and was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It was later converted to Stern's, due to Macy's of Elmhurst moving into Queens Center, as part of Macy's dissolving of Abraham & Straus, in 1994, and then, as a result of Macy's dissolving Stern's in 2001, closed by Federated Department Stores. Today its flagship stores are Target, Macy's Furniture Gallery and Lidl, and it contains many smaller stores such as Mattress Firm and Skechers.{{Cite web |title=Queens Place ::: Directory |url=https://shopqueensplace.com/directory#/ |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=shopqueensplace.com |language=en}}
History
R. H. Macy & Co. announced plans in 1964 to develop a circular Macy's department store on Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens, New York.{{Cite news|date=1964-02-13|title=Macy's New Idea for Saving Steps|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-macys-new-idea-for-saving-st/140091991/|access-date=2024-02-02|work=Daily News|pages=84}} The store, described in The New York Times as the "first of its kind" in the U.S.,{{cite web | title=Macy's to Build Circular Store | website=The New York Times | date=February 13, 1964 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/13/archives/macys-to-build-circular-store.html | access-date=February 2, 2024}} was to be a three-story building surrounded by five parking decks. The building was designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and erected by Walter Kidde Constructors.{{cite web | title=Macy's Selects Contractor For Queens Circular Store | website=The New York Times | date=September 29, 1964 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/09/29/archives/macys-selects-contractor-for-queens-circular-store.html | access-date=February 2, 2024}} The {{Convert|330000|ft2|adj=on}} building opened in 1965.{{cite book | last=Duncan | first=D.J. | last2=Phillips | first2=C.F. | title=Retailing; Principles and Methods | publisher=R. D. Irwin | year=1967 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cvwyRxBE-B0C | page=127}}
Macy's occupied the structure until 1995 and was replaced by Stern's, which moved out during 2000. Federated Department Stores, which owned both Macy's and Stern's, sold the building in May 2001 to Forest City Ratner, which added two floors and converted the building into the Queens Place Mall.{{cite web |first=Diana |last=Shaman | title=Commercial Property/Queens; Circular Building Adding 2 Floors and Big Retailers | website=The New York Times | date=January 14, 2001 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/14/realestate/commercial-property-queens-circular-building-adding-2-floors-and-big-retailers.html | access-date=February 2, 2024}} On December 22, 2017, Queens Place was acquired by Madison International Realty from Forest City Realty Trust. The real estate private equity firm had previously acquired a 49% stake in the Forest City portfolio in 2011 and purchased the remaining 51% in 2017.{{cite news|url=https://commercialobserver.com/2017/09/madison-international-formally-agrees-to-buy-forest-citys-new-york-retail-portfolio/|title=Madison International Agrees to Buy Forest City's $1B New York Retail Portfolio|date=September 17, 2017|last=Cunningham|first=Cathy|work=Commercial Observer|access-date=June 26, 2019}} French bank Natixis refinanced the property with a $100 million loan in April 2018.{{cite news|url=https://commercialobserver.com/2018/04/madison-international-realty-nabs-100m-natixis-refi-for-queens-place-mall/|title=Madison International Realty Nabs $100M Natixis Refi for Queens Place Mall|last=Cunningham|first=Cathy|date=April 25, 2018|work=Commercial Observer|access-date=June 26, 2019}}
On January 9, 2025, it was announced that Macy's Backstage would be closing as part of a plan to close 66 stores nationwide. The store will close in March 2025.{{Cite web|url= https://www.axios.com/2025/01/09/macys-store-closing-list-2025|title= Macy's closing 66 more stores in 2025. See the closure list.|last=Tyko|first=Kelly|date=January 9, 2025|access-date=January 9, 2025|website=Axios|language=en}}
Architecture and design
Queens Place is bounded by Queens Boulevard to the southwest, 56th Avenue to the south, 90th Street to the east, Justice Avenue to the northeast, and 55th Avenue to the north and northwest. The main entrance to the Queens Place Mall faces Queens Boulevard, while there is a parking garage entrance on 56th Avenue and 90th Street. Queens Center is one block southeast on Queens Boulevard, between 57th and 59th Avenues.
The building was originally planned to be completely round. However, Mary Sendek—the owner of the corner house at 55th Avenue and Queens Boulevard—held out and refused to sell the property, her childhood home. The mall was reconfigured with a small notch on one corner, to accommodate the air space associated with Sendek's property. Sendek continued to live in the small house until her death in 1980.{{Cite web|last=Marzlock|first=Ron|date=May 9, 2013|title=Macy's meets Mary Sendek|url=https://www.qchron.com/qboro/i_have_often_walked/macy-s-meets-mary-sendek/article_f50eba38-636f-54fe-b3fb-3d4ff16776f6.html|access-date=June 24, 2020|website=Queens Chronicle|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Shaman|first=Diana|date=July 19, 1981|title=Plans for Site Near Macy's|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/19/realestate/plans-for-site-near-macy-s.html|access-date=June 24, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}
Tenants
=Current=
- Target
- Macy's Furniture Gallery
- Lidl{{Cite web |title=Madison International Brings Grocer Lidl to Queens Place Mall |url=https://www.connectcre.com/stories/madison-international-brings-grocer-lidl-to-queens-place-mall/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Connect CRE |language=en-US}}
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Mattress Firm
- Mrs. Fields
- Skechers
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Teriyaki One Japanese Grill{{Cite web |title=Queens Place ::: Directory map |url=https://www.shopqueensplace.com/directory-map#/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=www.shopqueensplace.com |language=en}}
=Former=
- Macy's Backstage
- DSW
- Stern's
- Best Buy
- Red Lobster
- Outback Steakhouse{{Cite web |last=Pozarycki |first=Robert |date=2018-08-28 |title=Outback Steakhouse at Queens Place mall in Elmhurst abruptly closes its doors – QNS |url=https://qns.com/2018/08/outback-steakhouse-queens-place-mall-elmhurst-abruptly-closes-doors/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=qns.com |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.shopqueensplace.com/ Queens Place official website]
- [http://local.google.com/maps?near=8801+Queens+Blvd,+Flushing,+NY+11373-4449+(Queens+Place)&geocode=Ce-vW-kKR_-FFfGQbQIdwMOY-yF_dYMjTrXMig&q=queens+place&f=l&dq=queens+place+mall&sll=40.734961,-73.874496&sspn=0.09034,0.071946&ie=UTF8&ll=40.73599,-73.874474&spn=0,359.986417&t=h&z=16&iwloc=near&layer=c&cbll=40.734973,-73.874556&panoid=JkMKQ_TVtHEq5xrYzfGlIQ&cbp=12,104.87,,0,5.13 Queens Place Mall (Aerial & Street View)]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140409002436/http://www.forestcity.net/properties/shop/neighborhood_centers/Pages/queens_place.aspx forestcity.net]
{{New York City Malls}}
Category:1965 establishments in New York City
Category:Commercial buildings in Queens, New York
Category:Shopping malls established in 1965
Category:Shopping malls in New York City
Category:Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings
Category:Tourist attractions in Queens, New York
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