Rego Center facts for kids
Rego Center Phase 1
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| Location | Queens, New York, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°43′59″N 73°51′47″W / 40.73306°N 73.86306°W |
| Address | 96-05 Queens Boulevard |
| Opening date | March 3, 2010 |
| Developer | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Management | Urban Edge Properties |
| Owner | Vornado Realty Trust |
| Architect | Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 270,000 square feet (25,000 m2) (Phase I) 950,000 square feet (88,000 m2) (Phase II) |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Parking | 1400 |
| Public transit access | New York City Subway: 63rd Drive–Rego Park   New York City Bus: Q59, Q88 MTA Bus: Q38, Q60, Q72 |
Rego Center is a large shopping mall in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It's a popular place for people to shop, eat, and find many different items. The mall is easy to reach, located near major roads like the Long Island Expressway and Queens Boulevard.
Contents
A Look Back: Rego Center's History
The land where Rego Center stands today has a long and interesting past. It was once home to Alexander's, a well-known department store in New York City. Later, a store called Sears opened its doors there in 1996.
How the Mall Grew: Phase I and Phase II
Rego Center grew in two main parts. The first part, called Phase I, opened with several stores. Then, on March 3, 2010, Phase II of the mall opened. This new section added a lot more shopping space, about 950,000 square feet!
Many big stores moved into Phase II, including Costco, Century 21, and T.J. Maxx. Other popular stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, IKEA, Marshalls, Old Navy, and Burlington Coat Factory were already in Phase I. An Aldi supermarket also opened in 2011.
New Homes Above the Mall
Around 2015, the mall's owner, Vornado Realty Trust, started building a tall apartment building called The Alexander right on top of the mall's Phase II. This 24-story building has 314 apartments, mostly for young professionals moving into the area.
Changes in Stores Over Time
Over the years, some stores have closed and new ones have opened at Rego Center.
- In April 2017, the Sears store closed down.
- In March 2018, Toys "R" Us closed all its US stores, including the one at Rego Center. A toy store called Toy City later took its place.
- In April 2019, the Kohl's store also closed.
- In September 2019, IKEA announced plans to open its third New York City location in the old Sears space. It opened on January 11, 2021.
- In 2021, At Home opened in the space where Kohl's used to be.
- Sadly, in October 2020, Century 21 closed its Rego Park store, along with all its other locations nationwide.
Stores That Didn't Make It
Sometimes, plans for stores change.
- In 2008, The Home Depot decided not to open a store at Rego Center. Instead, Costco moved into that space. This was Costco's fifth location in New York City.
- In 2005, Walmart had plans to open a store here, but strong opposition from various groups stopped the plan.
What's Inside: Rego Center Layout
Rego Center has several levels, each with different stores and places to eat.
- Level 3: You can find stores like Century 21, Lenora Furniture, T.J. Maxx, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, and Burlington Coat Factory.
- Level 2: This level has Marshalls and Toy City.
- Street Level: Here you'll find places like Dallas BBQ, Sprint, Mandee, The Vitamin Shoppe, Aldi, Subway, Panera Bread, and Marshalls.
- Lower Level: This is where the big Costco store is located.
Images for kids
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Phase II of Rego Center
