By Sarina Trangle
Plans for a 350,000-square-foot shopping center next to The Shops at Atlas Park has Glendale abuzz.
The community has been inquiring about the Glendale Shopping Center since a brochure outlining the mall’s debut, at 82-00 Cooper Ave., began circulating a few weeks ago.
But the developer, Schuckman Realty Inc., refused to discuss its plans and Community Board 5 said it has not yet formally received information from the company.
CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano said it would be wise for the developers to come before the board and explain their project, even though he did not anticipate the mall requiring zoning changes or variances.
“If they have community spirit, they might want to come before the board sometime in the near future, since it’s already out there,” Giordano said. “The community often has some good ideas of what might work there, too.”
The brochure describes Glendale Shopping Center as a “suburban-style” mall that would be anchored by a grocery shop and two other stores. The shopping complex would include several smaller stores, restaurants with outdoor seating and 500 free parking spaces.
Renderings of the Glendale Shopping Center claim a million people reside within 3 miles of the site and nearby families with an average income of $85,000 will lead to a thriving mall.
The shopping center is slated to be constructed in two phases, with 137,000 square feet of retail and 133,650 square feet of storage completed in fall 2015 and the remainder of the project unveiled in spring 2016.
The proposal would not threaten The Shops at Atlas Park, according to property manager Liza Diaz.
“We believe the surrounding market is strong and there is plenty of room in the marketplace for additional retail projects,” Diaz wrote in an e-mail. “The Shops at Atlas Park has experienced vast improvements since Macerich took over in 2011. The transformation continues as we recently opened national retailers such as Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe.”
Giordano said he thought stores for younger adults may serve the community well along with entertainment and recreational businesses to fill the void left by the now-defunct Woodhaven Lanes.
Several residents expressed concerns about the mall choking traffic near Cooper Avenue and 83rd Street on the Glendale Civic Association’s Facebook page.
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
