After opening in 2006, the Atlas Park Mall has struggled to stay afloat. Between the economic recession and the stores being overpriced for the neighborhood, the mall – as it was originally planned out – couldn’t survive. Most of the original stores have closed.
A number of new stores have recently opened at Atlas Park, including Moe’s Sneaker Spot, as the mall tries to draw shoppers from around Queens. Ryan Girdusky/The Forum Newsgroup
In 2011, the mall was sold to Macerich, a company that redesigned it to make it more appealing and with more affordable stores and community events.
This is the summer of reinvention for the Atlas Park, according to shop employees. A summer program of various community events is underway, and a series of new stores have opened or are opening. The largest is Forever 21, which is expected to open at the end of this summer.
Other stores that have recently opened include Charlotte Russe, a trendy women’s clothing store; Moe’s Sneaker Spot, a shoe store; and the newly revamped VeneziaRistorante, an Italian restaurant in the center of the mall that’s been covered by a construction site for months.
“A lot of people are excited that new stores are opening up in the mall,” said Alexandra, a Charlotte Russe employee who did not want her last name used because of store policy. “People are excited there are new, big stores that have more of a name brand.”
The increase in brand names has helped increase the flow of patrons to the mall. Linda Murphy, a Middle Village resident and Atlas Park shopper, noted that, “for a long time, they needed something like a Kohl’s or Sears, something familiar and large that would draw in people who could then get accustomed to the smaller boutiques.”
Charlotte Russe is one of a number of new stores
at Atlas Park.
At one such boutique, Gossip Apple, which specializes in trendy clothing for women, an employee said, “the new stores have attracted a lot more teenagers.”
Sam, an employee at Subway who also did not want his last name used, commented that “the new businesses attract people, and we’ve definitely see things pick up” in the restaurant and food business.
The number of restaurants in Atlas has grown; in addition to Subway and Venetia Ristorante, Atlas has a California Pizza Kitchen, Chili’s, Johnny Rockets, Manor Oktoberfest, Shiro of Japan, Simply Fondue, and Starbucks.
The attraction of the new sneaker and clothing stores may help the restaurants. The two biggest attractions to the mall, as of now, are the Regal movie theatre and New York Sports Club, which don’t always bring in customers to the eateries.
Many hope that as the new clothing stores attract more people, they’ll be willing to spend more time in the mall and bring more customers into the restaurants.
One of the biggest complaints by mall goers is still the paid parking. Many said that if they’re going to spend money shopping, they shouldn’t have to pay to park. Queens Center Mall in Rego Park also has paid parking that has not affected revenue, but residents stressed that site is a much larger mall with many more stores than Atlas.
“The key would be if they didn’t charge for parking,” said Kathy Masi, president of the Glendale Civic Association. “No one is going to come across Queens, to pay for parking in Atlas when they just as easily go to Bay Terrace Shopping Center.
“They’re trying to do things with the community but there’s still not enough places to shop,” Masi continued. “Hundreds of people were there (for the viewing of the movie “Up”), but there weren’t a lot of places to shop. Some places have been a success, like Gymboree. They just need some more stores.”
By Ryan James Girdusky
