Queens shoppers will soon have a new place to go in search of quality items when The Shops at Atlas Park opens at the end of this month.
Located in Glendale at 8000 Cooper Avenue, The Shops at Atlas Parks is a 400,000 square foot center that will have more than 55 shops and more than 1,600 parking spaces. According to its website, it “provides a shopping environment tailored to meet the needs of busy customers who value convenience.”
Big name stores such as J. Jill, Marmi, Chili’s, Chopin Chemists, Crazy for Animals, The Amish Market and Stein Mart are among the ones that will be opening throughout the summer and fall following a ribbon cutting on April 27.
“We are thrilled with the range and quality of retailers who have chosen The Shops at Atlas Park for their first foray into Queens,” said project development director Damon Hemmerdinger. “The variety of tenants debuting at the center, from the local shopkeeper to major national brands, will fulfill our promise of providing Queens residents and visitors with the finest urban retail experience possible.”
This month, women will be given another option to find clothes and shoes when the apparel store J. Jill and shoe store Marmi open.
Chili’s, which is a family restaurant specializing in Southwestern food, will open in September 2006.
The high-end boutique and drug store Chopin Chemist, which originally opened in Brooklyn and has locations in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, is scheduled to open its doors to Queens residents in August of 2006.
This April, Middle Village resident Patty O’Connor will open her first boutique, Crazy For Animals, which will sell upscale pet accessories.
The Amish Market, which already has three stores in Manhattan, will open in Queens this coming August and will carry specialty and gourmet foods.
Finally, Stein Mart, which has 262 locations nationally and was initially formed in Mississippi, will also open this month. The department and specialty store offers items at considerably low prices that provide a 25 to 60 percent discount.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our special shopping experience in the Queens area,” said Jack Williams, Vice Chair of the Board of Stein Mart, Inc.
These are only a few of the 55 stores that will find a home in The Shops at Atlas Park. This newest batch of additions will be joining Regal Cinemas, Chico’s, White House_Black Market, Gymboree, Coldwater Creek, Bombay Company, Areosoles, Jos. A. Bank, Claire’s, Johnny Rockets, Cold Store Creamery, California Pizza Kitchen and Stella Gialla. Shiro of Japan and Pasticcio, both of which have been favorably rated by Zagat, will also open in the shopping complex.
The Shops at Atlas Park will also be the location of the first Borders, which carries books, music and movies, to ever open in the borough. Opening in September of 2006, it will fill a 22,500 square foot space. Hemmerdinger said that he sees it as a huge compliment that Borders and other stores have chosen the Glen Oaks shopping center as the location of their Queens debut.
“More importantly, we are fulfilling our promise to provide the community with an important new, convenient shopping and dining option,” he said of the new shopping center.
In between enjoying some shopping, a movie and good food, visitors of The Shops at Atlas Park can get in some exercising. Last February, New York Sports Club (NYSC) signed a lease for a 27,406 square foot space.
“We are very excited to be part of such an extraordinary project and to add another NYSC to our network of clubs,” said development manager John Epifanio. “We envision a great marriage between The Shops at Atlas Park and NYSC.”
Hemmerdinger said that one reason why The Shops at Atlas Park has been able to draw so many top-notch businesses is because of the development’s location and overall design that includes white-washed buildings and an open spaced called “The Green.”
“As our construction has progressed, the design strategy and site accessibility have become major selling points resulting in an enormous amount of interest from both national and local stores and eateries,” said Hemmerdinger. He continued, “The classic architecture of the new buildings and innovative renovation of buildings nearly a century old, all surrounding a 2.3-acre park, create an experience unlike any other in the New York market.”
There is also much that The Shops at Atlas Park has to offer to consumers.
“In addition to the stellar tenant roster, the site will offer ample parking, exposure to our target demographic, and convenient access from surrounding markets,” Epifanio said.
The Green is a 2.3-acre park located in the center of The Shops at Atlas Park. It will not only give shoppers a place to relax but will be an area where events can be held. On Friday, April 28, Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30, there will be open activities for children.
Also, on Saturday, May 13, Bill Duggan of HGTV’s “Curb Appeal” will be on hand for a meet and greet. Those at the event will be given a behind-the-scenes look at the show.
The Queens Symphony Orchestra (QSO) will partner with both The Shops at Atlas Park and Stein Mart for their soft openings. QSO, which has already called Atlas Park home for the last five years, is in its 53rd season of providing music to the community.
On Tuesday, April 25, Stein Mart and QSO will hold a shopping night at the new location from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The evening will include shopping, free gifts, refreshments and door prizes. The cost of tickets is $10, with the proceeds going to benefit the orchestra. To purchase tickets, call Rosaura Zuniga at (718) 326-4455 x20 or x10.
Along with giving shoppers more choices, The Shops at Atlas Park will also being generating many more jobs. In March, a job fair for its many stores drew more than 560 applicants.
“We were very gratified by the number of people interested in working in our store,” said Lisa Efron, the district manager of Aerosoles.
Due to its success, there might be a second job fair.
“We will likely have a second job fair in early summer for the stores that will be opening during August and September,” said The Shops at Atlas Park General Manager Miriam Mucchi. “In total, this new lifestyle retail center will create 1,200 new jobs within the community.”
Following the grand opening of The Shops at Atlas Park, its hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information on The Shops at Atlas Park and to keep updated on upcoming events, visit www.theshopsatatlaspark.com.
