Following the development plan of shopping center in Taman Ria Senayan (TRS) area in Central Jakarta, Jakarta City Council (DPRD) says it hopes the central government, in this case the State Secretariat, to review agreements with related private parties, saying it is inappropriate for the parliament building, which is a monumental building, to stand next to a shopping center or mall.
In addition, the lack of green space and water catchment areas in Jakarta should also be a consideration for not continuing the shopping center development plan. "We hope the State Secretariat to review the agreements with private parties, in regard to the construction of shopping mall in the area of Taman Ria Senayan," said Jakarta City Council Commission D member Muhammad Sanusi, Wednesday (7/21).
Based on study by various parties, he continued, the existence of a shopping center at the location was potential to bring adverse effects, starting from traffic jam to flooding. "I personally and on behalf of city legislators hope the development plan to be canceled," he stated.
The rejection also came from other council member Sayogo Hendrosoebroto, who is also the city council deputy speaker. Although this issue is outside his domain, Sayogo expects the plan to be canceled. "Do not ignore objections just for the mere pursuit of profit," he said referring to many objections amidst the plan.
Previously, Jakarta Capital City Governor Fauzi Bowo denies that the city government supports the plan; arguing the area is more appropriate to become an urban forest in the form of green open space. And it will be even better if the amusement park, which has an artificial lake on Jl Gatot Subroto, is integrated with the House of Representatives building located right next to the area.
He even claimed to have not known the plan of the shopping center development in the TRS since the area is located in the Bung Karno complex managed by the State Secretariat. "In the past, the permission of commercial development in the area did exist. But for now, such a matter is under the management of the State Secretariat, not the city government,” he said.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Travel guide to Langkawi Malaysia - Shopping
Langkawi surround by sandy white beaches and emerald light and bright green waters, has been attracting tourists ever since mankind can remember. But with budget airlines flying to this destination, more and more foreign tourists have found this duty free haven, with its attractive imported but above all local goods.
The local goods are mainly souvenirs, batik, pewter, silk, handicraft, sea food snacks and lots of other local delicacies. Lots of souvenirs shops can be found all over the island, many souvenirs are made of local wood, coconuts and marble, well crafted and refined in detail, but above all good value for money.
Duty Free Shopping
Langkawi’s Duty Free Port status, makes shopping in many cases very attractive, and picking up good bargains almost has become a popular sport here. Kuah is the only city on the island group called Langkawi, city actually would be overrated it’s more a nice thriving little town,
When traveling by ferry to Langkawi, the Duty Free shopping spree can start the moment the visitors step off the ferry. Just outside of Kuah, Jetty Point Duty Free Complex offers a wide range of products; most popular are alcohol, cigarettes and chocolates, ladies and men’s apparel.
The modern and well air-conditioned Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall offers at least 100 shops scattered over two floors. Samudra Duty Free Department Store offers a wide spread of duty free products, cosmetics, fragrances, leather, liquor, cigarettes and sports apparel and gear.
There are more duty free outlets in and around Kuah, Saga Shopping Center and Langkawi Duty Free, where also international branded clothes and confectionery, luggage and household appliances can be found. Just outside of Kuah the Teow Soon Huat Departmental Store in Pokok Assam, is another great place to spend an afternoon shopping.
The Local Crafts Complex
The Langkawi Craft Complex to the North of the island is a magic place to shop for souvenirs to bring home. Items found here will thrill and excite anyone and make the visit to Langkawi unforgettable. Items from the Langkawi Crafts Complex hang on walls or stand in living rooms all around the world.
At Pantai Cenang one of the most popular beaches, at Langkawi Underwater World, the Shopping Paradise Duty Free Centre is located in the same building, among many other items tourists will find watches, fashion, jewellery and batik made cloth and fashion.
Shopping Malls
Most shopping centers have great bargains, ready and waiting for shopholics.
Duty free rules - After staying at least 48 hours on the island, visitors are allowed to bring one bottle of liquor and one carton of cigarettes back to the mainland. When flying out of Langkawi, local regulations of the destination airport apply.
A few things to think about when buying delicate goods in Langkawi, some goods might be illegal in the country of arrival, among those could be decorative ornaments made of seashells, and any item made of crocodile leather.
Buying such goods also helps the trade in these items, and the world would benefit if animals seashell are left where they belong, in their own habitat and among other corals and marine life.
Most international credit cards are accepted in all shopping complexes. World wide delivery can be arranged by most art and souvenir shops, if items are too bulky to fit in the suitcase.
Langkawi, a true duty free paradise and tourists will enjoy the many shopping options offered.
Shop around first, before buying, as bargains are always around the corner in this shopper’s haven.
The local goods are mainly souvenirs, batik, pewter, silk, handicraft, sea food snacks and lots of other local delicacies. Lots of souvenirs shops can be found all over the island, many souvenirs are made of local wood, coconuts and marble, well crafted and refined in detail, but above all good value for money.
Duty Free Shopping
Langkawi’s Duty Free Port status, makes shopping in many cases very attractive, and picking up good bargains almost has become a popular sport here. Kuah is the only city on the island group called Langkawi, city actually would be overrated it’s more a nice thriving little town,
When traveling by ferry to Langkawi, the Duty Free shopping spree can start the moment the visitors step off the ferry. Just outside of Kuah, Jetty Point Duty Free Complex offers a wide range of products; most popular are alcohol, cigarettes and chocolates, ladies and men’s apparel.
The modern and well air-conditioned Langkawi Fair Shopping Mall offers at least 100 shops scattered over two floors. Samudra Duty Free Department Store offers a wide spread of duty free products, cosmetics, fragrances, leather, liquor, cigarettes and sports apparel and gear.
There are more duty free outlets in and around Kuah, Saga Shopping Center and Langkawi Duty Free, where also international branded clothes and confectionery, luggage and household appliances can be found. Just outside of Kuah the Teow Soon Huat Departmental Store in Pokok Assam, is another great place to spend an afternoon shopping.
The Local Crafts Complex
The Langkawi Craft Complex to the North of the island is a magic place to shop for souvenirs to bring home. Items found here will thrill and excite anyone and make the visit to Langkawi unforgettable. Items from the Langkawi Crafts Complex hang on walls or stand in living rooms all around the world.
At Pantai Cenang one of the most popular beaches, at Langkawi Underwater World, the Shopping Paradise Duty Free Centre is located in the same building, among many other items tourists will find watches, fashion, jewellery and batik made cloth and fashion.
Shopping Malls
Most shopping centers have great bargains, ready and waiting for shopholics.
Duty free rules - After staying at least 48 hours on the island, visitors are allowed to bring one bottle of liquor and one carton of cigarettes back to the mainland. When flying out of Langkawi, local regulations of the destination airport apply.
A few things to think about when buying delicate goods in Langkawi, some goods might be illegal in the country of arrival, among those could be decorative ornaments made of seashells, and any item made of crocodile leather.
Buying such goods also helps the trade in these items, and the world would benefit if animals seashell are left where they belong, in their own habitat and among other corals and marine life.
Most international credit cards are accepted in all shopping complexes. World wide delivery can be arranged by most art and souvenir shops, if items are too bulky to fit in the suitcase.
Langkawi, a true duty free paradise and tourists will enjoy the many shopping options offered.
Shop around first, before buying, as bargains are always around the corner in this shopper’s haven.
Whitefish board backs more retail on U.S. 93
A zoning text amendment that expands the retail uses along U.S. 93 South in Whitefish has been recommended for approval by the Whitefish City-County Planning Board.
The proposal now goes to the City Council for its consideration on Aug. 2.
If approved, the amendment would allow convenience stores, sporting-goods stores and personal services businesses as permitted uses.
It also would allow shopping centers, department and discount retail stores as conditional uses in the secondary business district on the U.S. 93 strip from Sixth Street to the intersection of Montana 40.
The proposal also adds definitions for shopping malls and discount stores and adds a section to the zoning regulations for development requirements of shopping centers and malls.
For the past couple of years, Whitefish has been exploring ways to broaden allowed uses along U.S. 93 South in a way that’s consistent with the zone’s intent. It has been controversial, though, with downtown business advocates opposed to zoning changes that would encourage growth of smaller retail businesses along the highway.
The intent of the secondary business zone along U.S. 93 is to accommodate commercial uses that are too large to fit downtown. However, through the years smaller retail firms have cropped up along the strip.
Ian Collins, chairman of the Heart of Whitefish downtown group and a downtown property owner, testified at a July 15 public hearing that he believes the expanded uses in the secondary business zone will extract value from his downtown property and put more value on property along U.S. 93 South.
Rhonda Fitzgerald, another Heart of Whitefish member and owner of the Garden Wall Inn, told the Planning Board that retail strips destroy downtown vitality. She said it took 15 years for the downtown to recover after Mountain Mall was developed.
But Jeff Jensen, owner of the Holiday Plaza on U.S. 93 South, said he didn’t agree that downtown property values would drop with approval of the zoning text amendment because downtown property is a finite commodity.
Dennis Rasmussen, owner of the former Greenwood Trailer Court property that has been vacant and for sale the past few years along U.S. 93, said he welcomes a relaxation of restrictions along the highway.
The proposed text amendment sets a size threshold for shopping centers at 12,000 square feet. Shopping centers larger than 12,000 square feet would need a conditional-use permit and would need to meet various development requirements.
For example, malls and shopping centers approved under the new standards could have no more than 50 percent of the total floor area that provides retail sales and service uses above and beyond what normally is permitted within the downtown business zone.
Board member Ole Netteberg proposed amending the definition of shopping center from 12,000 to 10,000 square feet, but that amendment failed.
Board member Ken Meckel, who along with Greg Gunderson voted against the overall zoning text amendment, said he was uncomfortable with the proposal because the Whitefish growth policy calls for strengthening the commercial center of downtown Whitefish.
Meckel said he had discussed the proposal with several people downtown and believed the community consensus was erring on the side of protecting downtown.
The proposal now goes to the City Council for its consideration on Aug. 2.
If approved, the amendment would allow convenience stores, sporting-goods stores and personal services businesses as permitted uses.
It also would allow shopping centers, department and discount retail stores as conditional uses in the secondary business district on the U.S. 93 strip from Sixth Street to the intersection of Montana 40.
The proposal also adds definitions for shopping malls and discount stores and adds a section to the zoning regulations for development requirements of shopping centers and malls.
For the past couple of years, Whitefish has been exploring ways to broaden allowed uses along U.S. 93 South in a way that’s consistent with the zone’s intent. It has been controversial, though, with downtown business advocates opposed to zoning changes that would encourage growth of smaller retail businesses along the highway.
The intent of the secondary business zone along U.S. 93 is to accommodate commercial uses that are too large to fit downtown. However, through the years smaller retail firms have cropped up along the strip.
Ian Collins, chairman of the Heart of Whitefish downtown group and a downtown property owner, testified at a July 15 public hearing that he believes the expanded uses in the secondary business zone will extract value from his downtown property and put more value on property along U.S. 93 South.
Rhonda Fitzgerald, another Heart of Whitefish member and owner of the Garden Wall Inn, told the Planning Board that retail strips destroy downtown vitality. She said it took 15 years for the downtown to recover after Mountain Mall was developed.
But Jeff Jensen, owner of the Holiday Plaza on U.S. 93 South, said he didn’t agree that downtown property values would drop with approval of the zoning text amendment because downtown property is a finite commodity.
Dennis Rasmussen, owner of the former Greenwood Trailer Court property that has been vacant and for sale the past few years along U.S. 93, said he welcomes a relaxation of restrictions along the highway.
The proposed text amendment sets a size threshold for shopping centers at 12,000 square feet. Shopping centers larger than 12,000 square feet would need a conditional-use permit and would need to meet various development requirements.
For example, malls and shopping centers approved under the new standards could have no more than 50 percent of the total floor area that provides retail sales and service uses above and beyond what normally is permitted within the downtown business zone.
Board member Ole Netteberg proposed amending the definition of shopping center from 12,000 to 10,000 square feet, but that amendment failed.
Board member Ken Meckel, who along with Greg Gunderson voted against the overall zoning text amendment, said he was uncomfortable with the proposal because the Whitefish growth policy calls for strengthening the commercial center of downtown Whitefish.
Meckel said he had discussed the proposal with several people downtown and believed the community consensus was erring on the side of protecting downtown.
Midtown poised to become Rochester memory
There is little inside Midtown Plaza that looks like a shopping mall anymore. Exposed steel beams and metal decking. Broken concrete and strands of rebate. Work lights strung by heavy cord.
Midtown, one of the nation's first downtown enclosed shopping malls, is about to come crashing down.
Crews will begin digging up and disconnecting utilities next month. In mid-August or early September, the excavators arrive with grapples and shears to start tearing into the downtown landmark along South Clinton Avenue. A crane will roll in shortly thereafter.
"The contractor is going to work his way into the site, basically, and expose areas to give him room to work," said Bob Kreuzer, project manager with LiRo Engineers. "You're not going to see the wrecking ball. They won't implode a building. It's all by heavy equipment."
Back in October 2007, then-Gov. Eliot Spritzer stood in the Midtown atrium and announced that the state would commit $55 million to pay for asbestos abatement and demolition of the 8.6-acre site, saying, "This to me is the beginning of a renaissance downtown." Midtown was 85 percent vacant at the time.
Asbestos work began in July 2009, but has been largely out of public view. Project officials provided updates Tuesday in separate briefings for the public, stakeholders and the media, which also was given a final look inside.
"Downtown is going to be very different," city Corporation Counsel Thomas Richards said, explaining how, one day, people will stand in the middle of the Midtown block and see Manhattan Square Park, the Sibley Building, the East End and Xerox Tower. "You will have another vision of what downtown is like."
Most of the demolition should be completed in nine months; all of it by December 2011.
Motorists can expect lane restrictions but no long-term closures. They also may encounter more on-street service and delivery vehicles, as access to a tunnel stretching beneath the site to Riverside Convention Center will be limited. Fencing and sidewalk closures will be extended. The bus stop in front of Midtown at South Clinton Avenue and East Main Street will be relocated to North Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street.
Skywalks linking to the site will be dismantled beginning as soon as late August. That work will be done on evenings and weekends to avoid traffic tie-ups, officials said, and connections to Chase Tower and the Sibley Building will be permanently sealed over.
Throughout the demolition, contractors will use misting machines — "as much water as possible" — to control dust, Kreuzer said. They also will monitor air quality and vibrations to protect surrounding buildings.
When the crane arrives, it will tear the top floors off the Seneca Building along South Clinton Avenue. The lower three floors will be stripped down to the steel frame but preserved and incorporated into PAETEC Holding Corp.'s new headquarters.
The company's plan has received city site plan approval, with conditions that PAETEC shift or expand its building 13 to 18 feet northward to eliminate setback from East Main Street. Ground-floor retail space also should be reconfigured to fill the East Main Street frontage and wrap around the building's east side.
A PAETEC spokesman said neither request is problematic. By this time next year, construction should be under way, not just on PAETEC's headquarters but on renovation of Midtown Tower into apartments and condominiums, possible redevelopment of the former Wegmans building and site work.
The city must decide by this fall whether there is sufficient developer interest to retain the steel framework of the old Wegmans building. If kept, Richards said, the city first must be certain it has the money to still raze the structure if that developer's interest falls through.
In all, the city estimates spending $90 million on demolition and infrastructure, repairing the service tunnel, re-opening the three-level parking garage beneath the site and putting back streets that Midtown absorbed almost 50 years ago.
For now, though, the hollowed-out shell of Midtown still holds its place in downtown. And, in tough economic times, its dismantling is providing steady work for local laborers, for whom unemployment is estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent.
At the height of the asbestos removal, which is ongoing, Midtown bustled with more than 200 workers. When the project fully shifts to demolition, the work force will drop to between 30 and 40.
Keith Kellogg, 53, of Henrietta has worked here since last summer as a foreman with Cambria Contracting Inc. He remembers coming to Midtown as a boy, riding the monorail or throwing pennies in the fountain. Today, there is some nostalgia, he said, with workers swapping stories as they tore out that fountain.
"I'm just glad to be working, to tell you the truth," said Kellogg, who had been out of work for a year before the Midtown job. "This has been quite the project, that's for sure. Quite the project."
Midtown, one of the nation's first downtown enclosed shopping malls, is about to come crashing down.
Crews will begin digging up and disconnecting utilities next month. In mid-August or early September, the excavators arrive with grapples and shears to start tearing into the downtown landmark along South Clinton Avenue. A crane will roll in shortly thereafter.
"The contractor is going to work his way into the site, basically, and expose areas to give him room to work," said Bob Kreuzer, project manager with LiRo Engineers. "You're not going to see the wrecking ball. They won't implode a building. It's all by heavy equipment."
Back in October 2007, then-Gov. Eliot Spritzer stood in the Midtown atrium and announced that the state would commit $55 million to pay for asbestos abatement and demolition of the 8.6-acre site, saying, "This to me is the beginning of a renaissance downtown." Midtown was 85 percent vacant at the time.
Asbestos work began in July 2009, but has been largely out of public view. Project officials provided updates Tuesday in separate briefings for the public, stakeholders and the media, which also was given a final look inside.
"Downtown is going to be very different," city Corporation Counsel Thomas Richards said, explaining how, one day, people will stand in the middle of the Midtown block and see Manhattan Square Park, the Sibley Building, the East End and Xerox Tower. "You will have another vision of what downtown is like."
Most of the demolition should be completed in nine months; all of it by December 2011.
Motorists can expect lane restrictions but no long-term closures. They also may encounter more on-street service and delivery vehicles, as access to a tunnel stretching beneath the site to Riverside Convention Center will be limited. Fencing and sidewalk closures will be extended. The bus stop in front of Midtown at South Clinton Avenue and East Main Street will be relocated to North Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street.
Skywalks linking to the site will be dismantled beginning as soon as late August. That work will be done on evenings and weekends to avoid traffic tie-ups, officials said, and connections to Chase Tower and the Sibley Building will be permanently sealed over.
Throughout the demolition, contractors will use misting machines — "as much water as possible" — to control dust, Kreuzer said. They also will monitor air quality and vibrations to protect surrounding buildings.
When the crane arrives, it will tear the top floors off the Seneca Building along South Clinton Avenue. The lower three floors will be stripped down to the steel frame but preserved and incorporated into PAETEC Holding Corp.'s new headquarters.
The company's plan has received city site plan approval, with conditions that PAETEC shift or expand its building 13 to 18 feet northward to eliminate setback from East Main Street. Ground-floor retail space also should be reconfigured to fill the East Main Street frontage and wrap around the building's east side.
A PAETEC spokesman said neither request is problematic. By this time next year, construction should be under way, not just on PAETEC's headquarters but on renovation of Midtown Tower into apartments and condominiums, possible redevelopment of the former Wegmans building and site work.
The city must decide by this fall whether there is sufficient developer interest to retain the steel framework of the old Wegmans building. If kept, Richards said, the city first must be certain it has the money to still raze the structure if that developer's interest falls through.
In all, the city estimates spending $90 million on demolition and infrastructure, repairing the service tunnel, re-opening the three-level parking garage beneath the site and putting back streets that Midtown absorbed almost 50 years ago.
For now, though, the hollowed-out shell of Midtown still holds its place in downtown. And, in tough economic times, its dismantling is providing steady work for local laborers, for whom unemployment is estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent.
At the height of the asbestos removal, which is ongoing, Midtown bustled with more than 200 workers. When the project fully shifts to demolition, the work force will drop to between 30 and 40.
Keith Kellogg, 53, of Henrietta has worked here since last summer as a foreman with Cambria Contracting Inc. He remembers coming to Midtown as a boy, riding the monorail or throwing pennies in the fountain. Today, there is some nostalgia, he said, with workers swapping stories as they tore out that fountain.
"I'm just glad to be working, to tell you the truth," said Kellogg, who had been out of work for a year before the Midtown job. "This has been quite the project, that's for sure. Quite the project."
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Flushing Rings Up Retailers
If Queens were a separate city, it would be neck and neck with Houston as the fourth largest in the U.S., with a population of 2.3 million. Yet the borough has had only one regional shopping mall—until now.
In the business district of Flushing, one of the densest areas in New York City, Sky View Center, an 800,000-square-foot shopping mall, has started to open its doors.
Sky View Parc in Flushing, Queens, will have six housing towers, with three to open this year, as well as several big-name stores.
Flushing already has hundreds of local stores and its position as a transportation hub—the No. 7 subway, city buses and the Long Island Railroad all meet in the heart of downtown Flushing—means that more than 100,000 people pass through daily, including residents of downtown Flushing and commuters who work and shop in the area.
Even though the new mall will increase congestion in an area already packed with pedestrians and cars, there are residents are looking forward to having more national retailers locally. The only regional mall in Queens currently is Queens Center in Elmhurst.
"People are happy to have them because we [often] have to go to Long Island, Manhattan or New Jersey to buy something," said Fred Fu, president of Flushing Development Center, a nonprofit that hosts cultural events in Flushing.
It is too early to tell whether the area's many small, mostly Asian, businesses will be affected.
Though it is too early to tell whether the area's many small, mostly Asian, businesses will be affected, Mr. Fu suggests that the new mall will benefit existing business owners.
"The new stores will generate more customers for the small businesses. People from Long Island City, Jamaica, and Bayside will come here to buy," he says.
Sky View Center is already 75% leased with three big box stores—BJ's Wholesale Club, Best Buy and Bob's Discount Furniture Store—already open. Target is expected to open in October. Also in the fall, Marshall's, Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond will open their doors.
Once the development is completed in 2011, additional tenants will include Famous Footwear, Five Guys Burger and Fries, numerous restaurants and a Sky Foods Supermarket—an Asian family-owned chain.
"There is no shortage of patrons to Flushing, but it is dramatically underserved from a retail and residential perspective," said Michael Dana, president of Onex Real Estate Partners and developer of the project. Forest Hills-based Muss Development LLC is co-owner of the project.
The shopping mall is just one part of the mixed-used development, Sky View Parc, which will eventually be home to more than 1,000 families with three of six planned housing towers to be completed this year. Units from studios to three-bedroom condominiums will be priced from $385,000 to more than $1 million.
The project is attracting a mix of local single and family buyers looking for more lifestyle amenities and service, as well as empty nesters and first-time home buyers.
Big-name retailers could be found in Flushing until the late 1980s. Some started to depart after Asian immigrants—who didn't shop at the stores enough because there weren't many products that catered to them—moved into the area. "Now is the time for the big businesses to come back because the economy [in Flushing] is booming," said Mr. Fu.
Two national chains have been in the district on Roosevelt Avenue for years, A Macy's store is approximately 50 years old and Old Navy has been there for nearly 10 years.
"They have shown these types of business can succeed in a community that is a certain type of ethnicity," said Ricardi Calixte, director of neighborhood economic development at the Queens Economic Development Corp. "It's a sign of what's to come."
In the business district of Flushing, one of the densest areas in New York City, Sky View Center, an 800,000-square-foot shopping mall, has started to open its doors.
Sky View Parc in Flushing, Queens, will have six housing towers, with three to open this year, as well as several big-name stores.
Flushing already has hundreds of local stores and its position as a transportation hub—the No. 7 subway, city buses and the Long Island Railroad all meet in the heart of downtown Flushing—means that more than 100,000 people pass through daily, including residents of downtown Flushing and commuters who work and shop in the area.
Even though the new mall will increase congestion in an area already packed with pedestrians and cars, there are residents are looking forward to having more national retailers locally. The only regional mall in Queens currently is Queens Center in Elmhurst.
"People are happy to have them because we [often] have to go to Long Island, Manhattan or New Jersey to buy something," said Fred Fu, president of Flushing Development Center, a nonprofit that hosts cultural events in Flushing.
It is too early to tell whether the area's many small, mostly Asian, businesses will be affected.
Though it is too early to tell whether the area's many small, mostly Asian, businesses will be affected, Mr. Fu suggests that the new mall will benefit existing business owners.
"The new stores will generate more customers for the small businesses. People from Long Island City, Jamaica, and Bayside will come here to buy," he says.
Sky View Center is already 75% leased with three big box stores—BJ's Wholesale Club, Best Buy and Bob's Discount Furniture Store—already open. Target is expected to open in October. Also in the fall, Marshall's, Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond will open their doors.
Once the development is completed in 2011, additional tenants will include Famous Footwear, Five Guys Burger and Fries, numerous restaurants and a Sky Foods Supermarket—an Asian family-owned chain.
"There is no shortage of patrons to Flushing, but it is dramatically underserved from a retail and residential perspective," said Michael Dana, president of Onex Real Estate Partners and developer of the project. Forest Hills-based Muss Development LLC is co-owner of the project.
The shopping mall is just one part of the mixed-used development, Sky View Parc, which will eventually be home to more than 1,000 families with three of six planned housing towers to be completed this year. Units from studios to three-bedroom condominiums will be priced from $385,000 to more than $1 million.
The project is attracting a mix of local single and family buyers looking for more lifestyle amenities and service, as well as empty nesters and first-time home buyers.
Big-name retailers could be found in Flushing until the late 1980s. Some started to depart after Asian immigrants—who didn't shop at the stores enough because there weren't many products that catered to them—moved into the area. "Now is the time for the big businesses to come back because the economy [in Flushing] is booming," said Mr. Fu.
Two national chains have been in the district on Roosevelt Avenue for years, A Macy's store is approximately 50 years old and Old Navy has been there for nearly 10 years.
"They have shown these types of business can succeed in a community that is a certain type of ethnicity," said Ricardi Calixte, director of neighborhood economic development at the Queens Economic Development Corp. "It's a sign of what's to come."
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tips for mall shopping
Black Friday can be a wonderful day to save a lot of money on gifts for the holidays and for yourself. There are certain things you can do to make shopping at the mall easier on this jam-packed day. Consider the following strategies.
Get there early
It can be much easier if you get the mall early on Black Friday. A lot of times the malls get very crowded as the day goes on, but it might be more manageable at the beginning. Also, you may get some morning only specials. Some items may also go out of stock later in the day.
Look at the ads before you go to the mall
You may want to look at the Black Friday advertisements for the mall stores before you actually go to the mall. You can see the products that you might be interested in. You want to be aware of any limited time specials so you can plan for your trip. You should circle the products that you want, and try to figure out where they are in the mall. Also, sometimes the mall themselves will have specials. For instance, the Pembroke Lakes mall in Pembroke Pines, Florida, will often give out mall gift cards if you spend a certain amount of money at the mall.
Give yourself plenty of time
Shopping at the mall may take much longer than normal. There are often long lines and you may have to wait for someone to serve you. Give yourself a lot of time to shop.
Plan how you are going to conduct your trip
You may want to plan which stores you are going to go to first. Some stores may have deals that expire sooner and you may want to go to them first. Also, some stores may have items that will go out of stock quicker so those might be on your priority list as well.
Think about where you are going to park
Parking at the mall on Black Friday can be very difficult. Think about this in advance so that you have a plan of attack so to speak. Think about where there might be more spaces and where it will be more convenient.
When you go to the mall on Black Friday, expect large crowds. Try to be patient and think of it as an event in itself. This might help you have a successful shopping experience
Get there early
It can be much easier if you get the mall early on Black Friday. A lot of times the malls get very crowded as the day goes on, but it might be more manageable at the beginning. Also, you may get some morning only specials. Some items may also go out of stock later in the day.
Look at the ads before you go to the mall
You may want to look at the Black Friday advertisements for the mall stores before you actually go to the mall. You can see the products that you might be interested in. You want to be aware of any limited time specials so you can plan for your trip. You should circle the products that you want, and try to figure out where they are in the mall. Also, sometimes the mall themselves will have specials. For instance, the Pembroke Lakes mall in Pembroke Pines, Florida, will often give out mall gift cards if you spend a certain amount of money at the mall.
Give yourself plenty of time
Shopping at the mall may take much longer than normal. There are often long lines and you may have to wait for someone to serve you. Give yourself a lot of time to shop.
Plan how you are going to conduct your trip
You may want to plan which stores you are going to go to first. Some stores may have deals that expire sooner and you may want to go to them first. Also, some stores may have items that will go out of stock quicker so those might be on your priority list as well.
Think about where you are going to park
Parking at the mall on Black Friday can be very difficult. Think about this in advance so that you have a plan of attack so to speak. Think about where there might be more spaces and where it will be more convenient.
When you go to the mall on Black Friday, expect large crowds. Try to be patient and think of it as an event in itself. This might help you have a successful shopping experience
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