Letter to the Editor: Queens Center Mall Should Pay Living Wage by David M. Quintana - Leader-Observer

Read original...

Dear Editor:

On Saturday May 21^st, I attended a Town Hall meeting at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Corona with hundreds of others to demand that the owner of the highly profitable Queens Center Mall, the Macerich Company, give back to the community by transforming the publicly subsidized mall from a poverty wage center into a responsible development for workers of Queens.

Among those participating in the event were elected officials: NY State Senator Jose Peralta, NY Assembly Member Francisco Moya, NY Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubrey, and New York City Council Members Julissa Ferreras and Daniel Dromm.

The meeting was hosted by Make the Road New York (MRNY), Queens Congregations United for Action (QCUA), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the Retail Action Project (RAP)

In exchange for the more than $100 million in tax breaks Macerich receives, a growing community, labor, clergy coalition is pushing to hold the Queens Center Mall owner accountable to the public by requiring retailers to pay a living wage with benefits, respect workers' rights to organize a union without threats or intimidation, and provide space for community services

The owners of the mall receive tens of millions of dollars in subsidies from our tax dollars and what does the community receive in return? Absolutely nothing.

Retail is one of the areas where the largest number of jobs are being created, and it is past time for retail workers to receive a living wage and be able to unionize without being threatened by their employers. It shouldn’t even be a question for the Queens Center Mall, one of the most profitable malls in the country (profits of $876 per sq foot) to become a living wage center and not a poverty wage one,

Many people who work at the mall barely make the minimum wage. As everyone knows, it’s not possible to live on such a low salary here in Queens, much less support a family.

I feel it's important that when we talk about economic development in our community, we should be talking about jobs that provide economic stability, jobs that can support a family and not part-time jobs with poverty wages and no benefits. Macerich should be made to require union neutrality from its retailers, so employees can decide whether or not to organize a union without fear of threats or retaliation.

A living wage bill is being debated in the NYC Council which would require businesses that receive tax breaks or City subsidies to pay their workers a living wage of $11.50 an hour without benefits or $10 an hour with benefits.

I would urge anyone reading this letter to contact their City Council member and tell them that they should vote to pass a living wage law in New York City. I believe it is a moral imperative that if someone works full-time they should be able to support their family and feed their children. Thank you.

Sincerely,

David M. Quintana

Ozone Park, NY

Queens Center Mall Owners Snap Up Rival at Foreclosure Sale by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

Read original...

THE FIRM that runs Queens Center Mall, among the nation's busiest shopping centers, landed a struggling rival complex at a recent foreclosure auction.

Sources revealed yesterday that mall giant Macerich was the mystery bidder that snared the Shops at Atlas Park for about $54 million at a highly anticipated sale last week at Queens Supreme Court.

That places two of the borough's largest malls in the same hands.

Though Macerich President Edward Coppola attended the sale on Friday, the group's involvement was initially unknown because it had created a shell corporation named WMAP LLC to bid.

Several insiders confirmed the Macerich link yesterday, including City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Locals heralded the news.

"They have all the repertoire of shops across the country," said Vincent Arcuri, 71, chairman of Community Board 5 in Glendale. "They should be able to bring in new vital businesses."

Atlas Park was unveiled in 2006 as an outdoor "lifestyle center," but its mix of restaurants and boutiques slumped through recent years. Some residents complained the stores were too upscale in the middle-class area.

Its owners, the family of ex-MTA Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger, defaulted on a $128 million loan to two French banks in 2009, initiating foreclosure.

Storeowners hope Macerich can turn around Atlas Park by employing the same strategies it used to lure tenants to Queens Center after buying the mall in 1995. It now boasts the highest revenue per square foot of any mall in the U.S.

"They're just really excited, eager to basically have a rebirth," said attorney Boris Sorin, who represents eight Atlas Park shops.

Macerich spokeswoman Anita Walker declined to comment, citing a company policy against discussing newly acquired property until the sale has closed. That is set to happen by Feb. 28.

WABC TV Town Hall Meeting at Queens Center Mall on August 25th...

What: WABC-TV Town Hall

Where: Queens Center Mall

When: Wednesday August 25th

Time: 7pm - 8:30pm

Queens Center Mall Accused Of Using Fake Parking Signs To Steer Revenue - WPIX

Read original...


Bogus "No Parking" signs had shoppers shelling out even more cash.

A recent report finds parking attendants have been posting no-parking signs marked with fake NYPD emblems outside the Queens Center Mall, forcing drivers to pay to park their cars in the garage.

The signs may have looked official, but they're not, NYPD spokesman Sgt. Carlos Nieves told the Daily News.

"The precinct was not aware that these signs were being put up," Nieves said. "The only people that are allowed to put these signs up are the NYPD."

The fake, neon signs often appeared on holidays and most Sundays, when metered parking is free.

Queens Center Mall spokeswoman Dawn Simon said eliminating street parking was meant to "facilitate traffic flow." Garage employees began posting the signs in 2004, when the mall was undergoing an expansion. Years later, garage employees continued posting the signs, apparently to increase revenue.

The parking garage costs $3 for the first hour and $1 an hour after that.

The signs could warrant charges of defrauding the city or obstructing governmental administration -- both Class E felonies.