Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Future of Atlas Park up in the air

From the Daily News:

The Shops at Atlas Park will unleash a new weapon during its summertime battle for survival.

The foreclosed Glendale mall - which is expected to be sold at auction next month - has hired a prominent agent to lure tenants ahead of a crucial shopping season for the open-air complex.

The entry of CB Richard Ellis, one of the world's largest commercial real estate firms, ends a 14-month management by Michael Mattone of the Mattone Group, whose contract recently expired.

Next in the Atlas Park saga: a highly anticipated sale - as early as June - that could determine the long-term success of the Cooper Ave. center.

It's also possible that a pact might be struck before the auction date, as teams and players often do prior to drafts in sports leagues.

"It's kind of like the draft," said Paul Millus, the court-appointed lawyer who controls the mall during foreclosure. "Sometimes you have a deal before you start."

Millus said several people have "expressed some measure of interest" in purchasing the mall, though he would not name them.

Community leaders have long figured the mall's founders, the family of former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger, would bid on the mall they conceived.

A group of Israeli investors is also in the running, with hopes to shape the mall in the mold of the Tanger Outlets on Long Island, said City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Crowley herself wants the City University of New York to offer classes at Atlas Park - a spot she thinks would be convenient for students in southern and western Queens.

Crowley said she will raise the possibility with university bigwigs after the city passes its budget this summer. CUNY officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Whether CUNY would even be welcome at Atlas Park depends on the philosophy of the mall's next owner.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't trust Elizabeth Crowely. I volunteered for her campaign and did GOTV during the weekends at Glendale, Maspeth and other parts of her district. She lied. She promise to support compassion of carriage horses and instead she sponsor a bill that hurts the carriage horses and the city. Crowly is a LIAR and an IDIOT. I hope she loses next election. I won't never volunteer for her again

Anonymous said...

Hey, look who she's related to. They don't get worse than Joe Crowley. Birds of a feather flock together. Put a Walmart at Atlas Park and watch their parking lot fill up.

Anonymous said...

The best idea has been suggested, put a Walmart there. (It won't happen - the city POLs do not want residents to be able to save money on all merchandise and food they sell)

The snake Dale Hemmerdinger who built and owned the property prior and still has good deal of property around Atlas will be scooping it up for a song. If so look for Atlas to be used in it's entirety as a College. It need to be altered, but everything else in place is perfect for a school. This is not my recommendation, just a thought what will be. A Tanger type outlet is a long shot because an outlet shop cannot be located so close to their primary stores (Queens center, Queens mall & Sear Mall). I hope this comes to pass or perhaps expand the entertainment elements such as a bowling alley etc to compliment the movies and eating establishmnets there.

Anonymous said...

That place is a disaster. Hidden, and in a part of queens; let's face it; where there's no Thru traffic. You're only going there as a destination, and not a GREAT destination in that. It's terrible. Not for the developers, but the businesses that have an interest there. Those people are struggling to survive!

Anonymous said...

So sad. A Walmart would do so much to help the residents of Queens.

Anonymous said...

Read some of these blog entries

http://walmartsucksorg.blogspot.com/


Wal-mart blows

Atlas was poorly planned and poorly executed. Damon is a dope

Anonymous said...

So sad. A Walmart would do so much to help the residents of Queens.

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No thanks. I like going to Atlas. Its peaceful and well taken care of. A walmart would bring in far too many undesirables from western ridgewood and bushwick.

Anonymous said...

Elizabeth Crowley made a sucker out of me. Can you image volunteering your weekends. I did it for NO money and NO jobs. I only did it because she promised to help the carriage horses. and guess what, she turn around and joined forces with Christine Quinn and sponsor a bill and pass it that hurts the carriage horses. And she refuses to sponsor a bill that will help the horses and the city. She is a LIAR. and anyone who meet her knows she is an idiot. I can't believe she was a teacher? No wonder the educational system is a failure.

Anonymous said...

What did she teach? Stupidity? Bet she got an A.

Anonymous said...

It's an upscale mall.That's why the Q45 from corona stops in front! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. tHEY WILL TURN THE PLACE INTO A HOUSING COMPLEX.wHEN NO ONE BUYS,IT WILL BE LEVELED AND BCOME AN EMPTY LOT.....

Anonymous said...

How about an Entertainment Center like New Rock City in New Rochelle? You can have movies, restaurants, bowling, roller skating, bookstores, maybe an indoor pool and rec center. Young people have money and will spend it there. There's nothing for kids to do in Queens. It would open up an untapped venue and would be profitable.

Anonymous said...

What did she teach? Stupidity? Bet she got an A.

Unfortunately so did her students. Stupidity is a contagious disease.

Anonymous said...

Walmart, College Campus....bad idea. That is my opinion.

Tanger outlet mall...I love it!

Anonymous said...

Walmart will bring lots of shoppers to this underutilized mall. Throw in a Costco for good measure and their financial problems will be a thing of the past.

Anonymous said...

"Tanger outlet mall...I love it!"

Never happen, the site doesn't meet Tanger's "Business Plan"

Wal-Mart won't happen either.
Unions are still strong in NYC and Wal-Mart is a union busting corporation.

They treat their workers like shit. Wal-Mart sux

Anonymous said...

"There's nothing for kids to do in Queens."

You're right - there's no little leagues, no after school programs, no parks, no libraries, no movie theatres, no ice skating rinks, etc. etc. etc.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Damon could go out in front and hand out dollars to the "little people" out of his inheritance.... again. "The Atlas Solution". Damon and his father are lowlifes who have left a trail of disgruntled people in their wake. They both inherited every single thing they have, and neither one is a "developer".

Anonymous said...

The Atlas Park Mall is not targeted correctly to an essentially working class neighborhood. It is a beautiful development though and as someone who is involved in building construction I look at it and realize they could have done a lot less there and let's face it, unfortunately most do. The new shopping center in Rego Park near the LIE with Costso, Century 21, Home Depot, etc. is on the right track. This will be successful and it too is located in an area that doesn't get much foot traffic. Take note of the difference in the architecture, Atlas Park is refined,classicallly conservative and traditional. Rego Park mall is garish, in your face, strip mall architecture. Atlas Park belongs in North Huntington or similar area. With this economy I doubt it would do well there either. Maybe it's a good sign. Perhaps we can all do with a lot less consumption.