While some neighbors are grumbling they’re being left in the dark over its development, TJ Maxx has become the second major tenant for the Throggs Neck Shopping Center.
The clothing and ladies footwear department store has signed a lease for 28,417 square-feet of space in the shopping center being constructed at Lafayette Avenue and Hutchinson River Parkway in Ferry Point. Completion of the shopping center is scheduled for early 2014.
According to a spokesman for Simone Development, one of the shopping center’s developers, TJ Maxx will be the junior anchor for the new development, which will also feature a 165,000+ square foot Target department store – the third in the borough.
The shopping center will feature over 285,000 square feet of stores and restaurants on two levels, and have parking for 900 cars in both covered and uncovered spaces.
Once completed, the developers envision about 30 local and national retailers joining Target and TJ Maxx, according to a spokesman.
TJ Maxx is a national retailer who offers discounted designer and brand name fashion for women, men, kids and babies.
But the development is not necessarily going over well in the community of homes in blocks near the mall, said Ferry Point Community Advocates president Dotti Poggi.
“We really feel that we have no control and no input,” said Poggi. “We did give some input to Community Board 10 in letter form, but have never been to a meeting where we could speak to Simone and Target directly.”
Poggi said that the community’s concerns over the construction of the Throggs Neck Shopping Center have so overwhelmed it, that there is little way to coordinate with the Throggs Neck area on other concerns, as is usually the case.
The mall’s construction is one of the factors that has led to the first steps being taken to form a Business Improvement District along East Tremont Avenue in Throggs Neck, according to Throggs Neck Merchants Association president Steve Kaufman.
Merchants are nervous the mall will pull shoppers away from the E. Tremont shopping strip.
Patrick Rocchio can be reach via e-mail at procchio@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3393
