Holiday season kicks off at Sky View Center

Sky View Center celebrated its grand opening in festive style with a holiday lights show, the Queens Symphony Orchestra and the Big Apple Circus.
“On behalf of the 2.2 million residents, I’m excited to welcome the Sky View Center to Queens,” said Borough President Helen Marshall.
The speakers, which included Marshall, City Councilmember Peter Koo, Assemblymember Grace Meng and Onex Real Estate Partners President Michael Dana, all spoke about the economic stimulus the Center can provide for the local community on Tuesday, November 9.
“This Center creates hundreds of local jobs and economic activity in our community,” said Marshall.
The shopping center, located at the corner of College Point Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, has already created over 700 construction jobs, as well as hundreds of other full- and part-time retail jobs.
“Downtown Flushing is growing in leaps and bounds,” said Marshall. “It is becoming one of the most important commercial districts.”
Koo agreed with this sentiment adding, “Sky View Center will be a destination for people from all over our great city.”
The speeches were followed by a holiday season kick-off celebration that included a light show, synchronized to holiday music, and performers from the Big Apple Circus.
The celebration commenced a month-long event series that will include daily light shows with extended programs every Thursday, workshops and music shows. The event series will run through December 18.
The new, 800,000-square-foot shopping center already includes, Best Buy, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Marshalls, Target and Old Navy. Many other retailers will join them, including, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Famous Footwear, Applebee’s and others.
Dana said he was amazed that four years ago he came and looked at an empty development site. He and Marshall said that this center was an example of what can happen when a public/private partnership works toward a common goal.
In addition to Sky View Center, there will be a residential portion called Sky View Parc. This portion, which consists of three towers, is not yet complete.
“This is what we call vertical living, live upstairs and do everything downstairs” said Koo, remembering similar development from his childhood in Hong Kong. “Everything is under one roof, shopping, dining. This is the future. Go vertical.”