Cord Meyer Development Company will present seven car shows from the Queens Classic Car Club throughout the summer at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center. Shows will run every other Tuesday from May 30 to Aug. 22, from 5 to 9:00 p.m. There is no registration required.
In addition to getting to see all sorts of cars, various bands will be on hand to provide live music, including Zocial on May 30, Chicken Head Rocks on June 13, Lisa Polizzi Band on June 27, Damaged Goods Band on July 11, T Minus Ten on July 25, Contraband on Aug. 8 and The Second Street Band on Aug. 22.
According to Queens Classic Car Club President James Pringle, the organization started in 2011, with many of the original members consisting of civil service members. They began having the car shows at the Bay Terrace during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cord Meyer Development Vice President and Bay Terrace Project Lead Joe Forgione said that Cord Meyer was looking for creative ways to use the outdoor space of the shopping center during that time. The company felt that hosting a car show like this would bring people to the shopping center and potentially help the tenants there. After attending one of the car club’s shows on the South Shore, he felt it would be perfect for the community.
The event is free and open to the public. All money raised from those who pay to take part in the 50/50 raffles will go to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Cord Meyer Development will match the amount raised and submit a donation of its own.
“There’s no cover fee to come in,” Pringle said. “We just ask people to donate to St. Mary’s. They have been one of the main recipients of our donations. We always like to give back to the kids.”
According to car show co-organizer Jackie DeLuca, some past shows have seen as many as 250 cars take part. She is proud of the amount of money raised for St. Mary’s each year. The expectation is for at least 150 cars to show up for the first show.
“The music and the cars go hand-in-hand, and the shopping center is a huge help,” DeLuca said. “You may have a car guy who wants to go and bring his wife and kids, who have zero interest in the cars. But between the music, stores and going out to eat, it all ties together for the ultimate experience.”
Cord Meyer intends to upgrade the shopping center over the next few years to better accommodate public events. This includes public seating, public dining areas, adding contemporary façade work and event space. Forgione said some of these projects may begin as early as this year.
“To have some permanent pockets for this type of activity would be great,” Forgione said. “The growing trend for shopping centers across the country is to become a live, work, play environment.” To learn more about the Queens Classic Car Club, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Cord Meyer Corner
In the early decades of the 20th century, Cord Meyer Development’s largest commercial undertaking was the 1931 construction of the award-winning Seminole Garage on Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills. This multi-faceted, one-story garage had a building footprint of over 53,000 square feet with parking for 200 cars. Cord Meyer has continued to value parking in the communities it serves as today’s Bay Terrace Shopping Center boasts over 1,600 free parking spaces, though most days only 50% to 60% are taken. As a result, numerous opportunities exist for creative use of the underutilized space.
