38 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Still no replacements for Kmart and Toys R Us in MidVille
BY RYAN KELLEY
rkelley@qns.com
Twitter @R_Kelley6
With Kmart currently running closeout
sales and Toys R Us having closed
months ago, the Rentar Plaza in Middle
Village has two large storefronts with a
murky future.
When reached over the phone on Sept.
11, Dennis Ratner, president of Rentar
Development— which owns the facility
— confi rmed to the Courier that the
company has not yet been able to fi nd
new retailers to move into the doomed
Kmart and already vacant Toys R Us.
As part of a nationwide series of closures
in January aft er fi ling for bankruptcy,
Toys R Us announced that it would
be closing the Middle Village location.
In July, Kmart also announced that the
Rentar Plaza location would be included
among nationwide closures of Sears and
Kmart stores, and it is expected to shut
down sometime in October.
While Ratner explained that Rentar is
“talking to a number of people” about
taking over the commercial spaces, he
said that it is not close to making a
deal with a potential suitor at this time.
Ratner added that the “general retail
market condition today” has proved to
be the biggest challenge in fi nding new
stores to move in, and mentioned that
“there is a lot of retail vacancy in Queens
at the moment.”
Indeed, the downfall of former corporate
giants Toys R Us and Kmart is evidence
that the brick-and-mortar retail
industry is in jeopardy. In Queens alone,
Sears closed a location in Rego Park
last year, another Kmart is closing in
Rosedale in September and the Babies
R Us in College Point closed earlier this
year. Last year, a Macy’s in Douglaston
closed as well as 14 CVS locations and
eight Walgreens/Duane Reade locations
in the borough.
Rentar Plaza alone has been home to a
number of retail chains that have come
and gone since it fi rst opened in 1972.
Th e same space where the Kmart is currently
located was home to Robert Hall,
Times Square Store and Caldor, all of
which went bankrupt.
Th e Toys R Us site was previously a
Waldbaum’s Supermarket, which relocated
to the Metro Mall — located below
Rentar Plaza — during the 1980s. Th e
Waldbaum’s at Metro Mall closed in the
2000s and was replaced by BJ’s Wholesale
Club, and the Waldbaum’s chain itself
faded into history back in 2015.
According to Ripco Real Estate, the
Toys R Us and Kmart vacancies are
being advertised as a combined space
for a potential “big-box” store. When
packaged together, the two stores off er
a total of approximately 200,000 square
feet with eight interior loading docks
and more than 1,000 parking spots on
the roof.
Th e properties, which are on the market
for the fi rst time in 20 years, would be
available as of February 2019, according
to the listing.
The Rentar Plaza on Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village.
'Best of the Boro' revs up auto businesses
BY JOSH TOWNER
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
The annual Bethpage Best of the
Boro program has grown to be a coveted
award for Queens’ best businesses.
Out of the hundreds of businesses
that are nominated each year,
only one will take home the title as
the “best” in Queens.
Among the many industries that
are represented in the competition,
the automotive industry has a huge
presence in Queens and each shop
holds a place in the hearts of residents.
Here’s a look at a few of the
automotive companies that could
take home the “Best of the Boro” title
for 2019.
Lee Myles Transmissions
Lee Myles Transmissions, located in
Hollis, originally opened in 1947. Th e
Hollis location is owned by Joseph
Pizzonia Sr. who took over in 1980 and
has been in business for over 35 years.
Pizzonia has had a life-long love for cars,
and his handing the business off to his
son, Joseph Pizzonia Jr., who began working
at Lee Myles in 2008 and has managed
the store since 2011. Lee Myles
Transmissions is family-owned and family
operated, and has take great pride
in helping the community by providing
quality automotive services and supporting
many youth leagues.
NY Tire Depot
Th e NY Tire Depot in Hollis was
founded with the hopes of building a
better tire buying and auto repair experience.
NY Tire Depot off ers a huge
selection of tires and boasts customer
from all over New York City. NY Tire
Depot’s staff is friendly, knowledgeable
and never too busy to help someone out
of a pinch.
Eurotech Auto Sales
Services Inc.
Eurotech got started in 1969 as a small,
two-bay gas station servicing Volkswagen
vehicles. Founded by Fritz Sr. and his
brother, Eurotech is now a Bosch certifi ed
garage and uses high-tech factory equipment,
including electronic wheel alignment
machinery. Eurotech’s staff is constantly
learning new technology to stay up
to date on the latest automotive advancements.
Whitestone Car Wash
and Quick Lube
Whitestone Car Wash and Quick Lube
is fast, aff ordable and effi cient. Th ey off er
everything from a quick clean to a full
detail and hot waxing. Located just off
of the Cross Island Parkway, Whitestone
Car Wash and Quick Lube will make your
car look like it’s fresh off the lot.
Justin’s Towing and Storage
Justin’s Towing and Storage was founded
in 2010 and off ers fast, 24/7 storage
and blocked driveway support. Familyowned
and-operated, Justin’s takes more
care than larger companies, and their
customers will agree. Whether it’s their
shocking speeds or high professional
standards, Justin’s is the premiere towing
company for Queens.
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