From the Queens Chronicle:The Schools at Atlas Park? That’s one option being explored by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) in recent discussions with college and city officials.
Crowley is engaged in early talks to convert vacant space at the beleaguered Shops at Atlas Park into CUNY classrooms — an effort she hopes can both save the struggling Glendale mall and bring long-absent services available at Queens’ community colleges to the campusless community.
The mall — once touted as a regional destination, with its outdoor storefronts, upscale vendors and abundant green space — never got off the ground. Completed in 2006, business at the shopping center quickly soured as the Great Recession began, sending its owners into foreclosure early last year when they defaulted on a $128 million loan.
Paul Millus, an attorney appointed as receiver over the mall, has struggled for months to attract high-profile tenants. And while he contends that the shopping center will ultimately turn the corner, he said classrooms could be a welcome addition. Millus said a private university, which he declined to name, had also approached executives about moving to Atlas.
Even some tenants seemed to embrace the idea. One store owner, who asked to remain anonymous because of ongoing negotiations with mall managers, thought a well funded effort could easily secure a comfortable space for CUNY, saying that many of the center’s economically challenged shops would jump at the opportunity to escape their leases and leave with dignity.
Atlas Park’s current owners are preparing to sell the complex in an upcoming foreclosure auction. Millus said the event would be held sometime within the next 60 days.
34 comments:
A CUNY annex is a good suggestion, although it should be limited in size. It would help the stores that are in place at that time, I would imagine the entire mall will be repositioned to maximize it potential.
Certainly businesses that attract local residents to shop such as a supermarket, bank and postal store would help daytime traffic continuously. Allow short term 1 hour free parking or business subsidized parking (proof of purchase) that encourage visits.
If Chili's restaurant is successful, why not bring in a sister restaurant that folks may want as an alternative? Or even a fast food place - tastefully done for the kid to go to.
I think a big part of their failure was due to paid parking. Why drive to Glendale and pay for parking when I could go to Long Island and not pay? I also avoid the Queens Mall and the stores where Sears and Old Navy are for the same reason. At least the Queens Blvd stores are easy to reach by subway.
I think it is a great idea and anything is better then it turning into another "Metro Mall" but wait....dont you guys hate CUNY?
"I think a big part of their failure was due to paid parking. Why drive to Glendale and pay for parking when I could go to Long Island and not pay? I also avoid the Queens Mall and the stores where Sears and Old Navy are for the same reason. At least the Queens Blvd stores are easy to reach by subway."
That's what I thought initially about their lost of business due to paid parking. But then I thought Queens Mall flourished despite paid parking. Then you made a good point that it flourished because it's near subway and ease of tranportational access. But then, thinking about it, Newport Mall at NJ also makes you pay for parking and yet, many people still go there.
But the difference is that Newport Mall has so many stores, people purposely go there to shop; knowing they can choose different shops for the most of the entire day ( 4 hours ).
No one will go to Altas Park purposely for the entire day to shop, especially, it's not as big and does not have big name stores like bloomingdales, century 21, macy, etc. It does have a Borders there, but that's it.
Altas Park is like a convenient mall... and being convenient will require ease of transportation to flourish, which that place does not have. (not to mention is near a cemetry). When it sparks flourishment, new bigger name stores will comes in and it feeds the flourishment mall and this cycles.
It's a good idea in the sense that you have all those great stores right near the classrooms - Why not get the little bastards started in the great American art of over consumption and massive credit card debt?
dont you guys hate CUNY?
I can read, compose a coherent story using paragraphs, and perform basic math with my fingers, so I'm too smart for the CUNY crowd.......
Why would we hate CUNY? A lot of us are alumni.
"I can read, compose a coherent story using paragraphs, and perform basic math with my fingers, so I'm too smart for the CUNY crowd......."
WOW - what a snob!
You an alumni of St. John's maybe? Only need 2.0 to be a student there - as with other private colleges - you got the money, you'll get the degree.
They touted this as an upscale mall,then made sure a bus line from corona to stop in front? It was just a bad decision to open a mall and then the recession hit.Just like the scumbag Brunswick Corp.They axed Woodhaven lanenes so they could conert it to retail space.They were way too late and now have an empty building.Just a note to developers.The economy and ny state /city is headig back to the shitter.NO ONE HAS $$$
You an alumni of St. John's maybe?
No, I graduated from a European university - University of Plaieos, just outside of Paris.
It's also known as the University of Sore Bones.
Only need 2.0 to be a student there
As opposed to some of the CUNY schools, where the only thing you need is a pulse, and they'll let you in.
(Yes, I'm well aware that there are some CUNY schools that still maintain academic standards - Baruch, Queens College)
Deke said: "Yes, I'm well aware that there are some CUNY schools that still maintain academic standards - Baruch, Queens College"
Thank you for acknowledging that.
Why is the university in Paris known as the university of sore bones - you aroused my curiousity!? hmmmmmm football maybe?
Screw new schools and more taxes. How about ending the anchor & cash baby programs or spiking the water tunnels with birth control ?
Any single one of the above would make a huge difference.
These south of the border parasites are sucking us dry.
Perpetually pregnant by 2-20 different men till they die or their uterus's fall out. The children have so many behavior, language and 3rd world cultural problems teachers cant teach em.
Its a wast of $$. Kick these locusts out or take away the food.
I watched the Atlas mall being built and knew the vision of an upscale mall in Glendale was doomed from the start.
If you just look at the area...at the economy you would know it just cries out for an OUTLET MALL! The architectural similarities to Woodbury Commons Outlet Mall are amazing. Clearly someone has missed the opportunity to have this actually be a success. But it surely can’t be too late to turn it around…vision is all it takes!
Forget about the "Upscale Stores" and go for outlets...there are no outlets within a 50 mile radius!
But this is just one woman's opinion!!
As ANOTHER woman - I second your outlet mall suggestion - BRILLIANT!
Joe said: "Perpetually pregnant by 2-20 different men till they die or their uterus's fall out. The children have so many behavior, language and 3rd world cultural problems teachers cant teach em.
Its a wast of $$. Kick these locusts out or take away the food."
Lovely thoughts and sentiment Joe - as usual.
Have you ever considered writing for Hallmark . . . ?
"Perpetually pregnant by 2-20 different men till they die or their uterus's fall out. The children have so many behavior, language and 3rd world cultural problems teachers cant teach em."
Joe that is just bizarrely wrong.
The top performing students in all our schools are mostly Asian and Latin American. The professional schools are beginning to be dominated by Asians.
Look also at -all- the major symphony orchestras, you'll see a large and growing number of Asians. THEY are keeping Classical music alive.
The brightest kids I have met are our employee's offspring. The top performing public high school in the city is in LIC and caters to immigrants.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/12/10/2009-12-10_going_above__beyond_us_news_report_names_qns_school_with_all_immig_students_city.html
Really Joe, those opinions of yours are way out of whack.
The top performing students in all our schools are mostly Asian and Latin American. The professional schools are beginning to be dominated by Asians.
You're half right - "mostly Asian" is the correct half.
Provide us with some statistics to back up your claims on Latin American students - graduation rates, dropout rates, truancy statistics, performance on the Regents and AP exams, etc.
Note that I said statistics, not your own personal anecdotes or observatons. The plural of anecdote is not data, in case you haven't heard.
Look also at -all- the major symphony orchestras, you'll see a large and growing number of Asians. THEY are keeping Classical music alive.
No quarrel with that.
To be specific, mostly Chinese, probably relating to the Chinese language being a tonal language, and the ability to distinguish tones carrying over to the music world.
Lino - The top performing students in all our schools are mostly Asian and Latin American. The professional schools are beginning to be dominated by Asians.
Deke - You're half right - "mostly Asian" is the correct half.
Me - nuts to you both. You're one in the same.
I guessed it so now what do I win?
Outlet stores good.
1/2 College; 1/2 mall....bizarre.
Maybe a high school would be better; high school kids still like to hang out at the mall. By the time they're in college they've mostly uogrown it.
Instead of a library, they could have Borders.
You know.. an outlet mall (like even tangers) would be a GREAT idea.
3 years ago, from Fresh Meadows, Queens, you had to either travel about 1 hour to Tangers Outlet in Riverhead (exit 72 on LIE), Long Island, or Woodbury Commons near Bear Mountains.
Nowadays, from Fresh Meadows, you can just travel 30 minutes to the newly 3 years old Tangers Outlet in Deer Park (exit 51 on LIE), Long Island.
Now, funny thing is that people on the Island in Deer Park were complaining about the construction and the potential of an Outlet Mall being built there, saying how it will destroy the quietest of their neighborhood and traffic.. blah (typical Long Islanders)...
whereas in Queens, I'm pretty sure no one will complain about an Outlet Mall and welcome it.
That's why 1 lives on the Island and the other lives in the Urbanish area.
Anyways, the point is if they build an Outlet Mall, like Tangers, it will take only 15 minutes to the Outlet from Fresh Meadows!
in 2006,i collated the D.O.E. english language arts and math test scores of pupils who took the nyc S.A.T. tests. which were considered the most difficult. these tests have been abandoned for the nys tests,which are easier.
i included elementary,I.S and M.S grades in our community,in order to give new parents a one page comparison to scrutinize. the D.O.E.website only reported each individual school's scores.
i recorded the years 2004 to 2007. then the n.y.c. D.O.E. stopped the reporting of the scores .
this project was reprinted in our civic newsletter.
Lino is lying again ,according to the D.O.E the hispanic(latins) scored third,behind the asians and caucasians.
"Just like the scumbag Brunswick Corp.They axed Woodhaven lanene"
For the record Brunswick Closed Woodhaven Lanes because they couldn't reach a lease agreement with the owner of the property
"Whereas in Queens, I'm pretty sure no one will complain about an Outlet Mall and welcome it."
Wrong, I will complain about it along with most of the Community near the "Mall" and Won't "Welcome it"
Forget about the "Upscale Stores" and go for outlets...there are no outlets within a 50 mile radius!
Um, what?
Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall (Elizabeth, NJ): 30 miles
Outlets at Deer Park, NY: 38 miles
Harmon Cove (Secaucus, NJ): 17 miles
cries out for an OUTLET MALL!
I am not sure you can locate outlets so close to their prime stores, but a couple of stores say those under-represented elsewhere would be welcomed if they serve the local residents needs.
But I would rather see Brunswick Woodhaven Lanes open here where it would be welcomed and do very well.
As far as schools goany College would be welcomed. It be a terrific for the area, education especially CUNY or St. Johns or even (wink) MIT adult classes at night could do very well here.
Queens Crapper said...
Why would we hate CUNY? A lot of us are alumni.
Everytime a post has something involving CUNY written in it there are subsequent posts after it always proclaiming that CUNY students are idiots and dirty illegal immigrants.
Are you going to try and tell me that this is not the case?
I graduated cum laude from CUNY. And up until the 1970s you actually had to be qualified to go there. They have made great strides towards returning admission standards to CUNY.
And why the hell do anonymous comments by a handful of commenters (and it is a handful compared to the thousands of hits QC gets daily) annoy you so much?
Sounds like someone is making sweeping generalizations about the readers of this blog just as he claims we do about CUNY and illegals.
That's some funny shit.
Anonymous said...
Sounds like someone is making sweeping generalizations about the readers of this blog just as he claims we do about CUNY and illegals.
That's some funny shit.
Your right on both counts. I am making a sweeping generalization ans so are people who comment on this blog about CUNY.
Then I guess you are no better than the people you scorn.
Queens Crapper said...
Then I guess you are no better than the people you scorn.
I never thought I was better. Just smarter. You see, minorities dont scare me. My neighborhood changing doesnt care me. My country changing doesnt scare me. It is ignorants with power... now that terrifies me.
So you think you are smarter because you make sweeping generalizations about people?
Apparently you are not a CUNY graduate.
I like how in some warped persons mind a discussion about classrooms at a mall turned into a lesson about "ignorants with power".
Anonymous said...
I like how in some warped persons mind a discussion about classrooms at a mall turned into a lesson about "ignorants with power".
The same way that discussions of a dormitory for graduate students in LIC became a lesson about invading immigrants, yuppies and nightlife.
That's funny. As I recall, I actually suggested the CUNY Graduate dorms fill empty space on the campus at LaGuardia and was immediately accused of bashing LIC by people who think and write like you.
An outlet mall is actually a very good idea.
I was at Rosetta Wines a few weeks ago and the owner seemed pretty confident that the mall was about to turn the corner. He didn't give up details, but he did say that a grocery store is going in where the Amish Market was, and that a "big-name" retailer was close to signing for the Stein Mart space.
I hope he's right. I live about a mile from Atlas and have tried to support it as much as possible--it is beautiful space and better shopping choices are badly needed in Glendale. Unfortunately the stores that have been there are for the most part horrible choices, and I don't know how some of the ones that are still there are managing to make their rent.
One other note, I don't understand why people continually whine about the parking fee. It's only $3, and if you don't want to pay it, I've never ever had a problem finding street parking within a block or two.
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