Jamaica Avenue renaissance?

Despite foreclosure woes in southern Queens, Jamaica Ave. is holding its own. Developments with new storefronts are moving forward.

Deep discounters draw busloads of shoppers to Jamaica

"You get an eclectic mix of stores you can't get anywhere else," said developer Ken Olson of Poko Partners, which plans to build a three-story glass building with 66,000 square feet of retail space topped with an 11-story middle-income rental apartment tower at 160-08 Jamaica Ave.

First, he'll demolish the long-vacant furniture store on the property he bought for $25 million in partnership with Ricky Cohen of Conway Capital, whose family owns Conway Stores.

At 162-10 Jamaica, shopping-center owner Wharton Realty Group plans to replace the stores and food court on the first floor and basement of Gertz Plaza Mall with big-box retailers.

This can either be a draw for the existing stores or be the beginning of the end if too many big boxers are ushered in (just take a look at East 86th Street in Manhattan). But this has been the city's blueprint for scrubbing clean neighborhoods that aren't full of yuppies and have good transportation in place.

P.S. I am not even going to comment on the rendering of the building which shows the type of architecture planned for the area. It speaks for itself.