New World Mall is an Asian-themed shopping mall located at 136‑20 Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, New York City. The mall was the largest Asian shopping mall in the Northeastern United States upon its opening in 2011.
 Main Street entrance in 2024 | |
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| Coordinates | 40°45′34″N 73°49′45″W / 40.75944°N 73.82917°W |
|---|---|
| Address | 136-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, New York 11354 United States |
| Opening date | May 22, 2011 |
| Total retail floor area | 165,000 sq. ft. |
| No. of floors | 4 |
| Parking | 350 |
| Public transit access | Subway:   at Flushing–Main Street LIRR: Flushing–Main Street |
| Website | www |
Features
edit
New World Mall is a four-level, 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m2) shopping mall that adjoins onto Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens in New York City.[1][2][3] The basement is occupied by a food court, the first and second floors are occupied by retail, and the third floor is occupied by a banquet hall and dim sum restaurant.[4][5] A 45,000-square-foot (4,200 m2) Jmart grocery store serves as the anchor tenant for New World Mall,[2][4] and the mall also contains a 350-spot underground parking garage.[1] Upon its opening in 2011, the mall was the largest Asian shopping mall in the Northeastern United States.[6]
History
editThe building that New World Mall occupies was originally an S. Klein department store,[1][2] which became an Alexander's in 1975,[7] and then a Caldor.[1][2] It had four levels with a combined 185,000 square feet (17,200 m2), in addition to a 340-space parking garage in the basement.[8] After Caldor closed in 1999,[9] the property was left shuttered until 2011.[2] There was a proposal to convert the building into a shopping mall to be named the Flushing Expo Mall in 2002,[10][11] but this effort failed.[12][2] A subsequent plan to convert the building into a Walmart was canceled in April 2006.[8][13]
Petitions to renovate the building into the New World Mall were filed in August 2009.[1] The plans called for chain stores on the first story, a supermarket on the second story, and an Asian food court on the third story.[12] Though the mall was originally planned to open in September 2010,[1] the opening date was pushed back.[12] The grand opening took place on May 22, 2011.[2]
Notable incidents
editOn August 6, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, New World Mall was shut down by the New York City Department of Buildings after it was found to be open in violation of state-mandated COVID guidelines.[14][15] The mall was partially reopened the following day after the violations were resolved by the building operators.[16]
In August 2023, The City reported that New World Mall was connected to an illegal straw donation scheme for New York City mayor Eric Adams during and subsequent to his 2021 mayoral campaign.[17] The report alleged that fraudulent donations were made to Adams in the name of mall workers to exploit New York's matching funds program for political donations; the mall's banquet hall was additionally the site of multiple campaign fundraising events organized by Adams advisor Winnie Greco.[17][18][19] On February 29, 2024, New World Mall and Greco's two homes were raided by the FBI as a part of their broader investigation into the Eric Adams administration.[20][21] At the time, the mall was operated by the family of Lian Wu Shao.[17][22]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Remizowski, Leigh (April 29, 2010). "New mall to replace blight spot". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Rhoades, Liz (May 19, 2011). "New World Mall opens at former Caldor site". Queens Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ The Eater Guide to New York City. Eater City Guide. Abrams Image. 2024. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-64700-889-5. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Sheets, Connor Adams (June 7, 2011). "New World Mall draws crowds to former Caldor site". Queens Courier. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Parker, Suzanne (July 5, 2011). "New World Mall: Asian fare in Flushing not for the faint". Queens Courier. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Dai, Serena (February 25, 2019). "How to Eat Your Way Through Flushing's Most Famous Food Court". Eater. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ "Alexander's Taking Klein Queens Lease". The New York Times. August 13, 1975. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Rhoades, Liz (April 13, 2006). "No Wal Mart For Flushing". Queens Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Caldor To Close Queens Stores". Queens Courier. January 28, 1999. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Rhoades, Liz (August 15, 2002). "New Upscale Mall To Replace Empty Caldor Site In Flushing". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "Caldor mall in Flushing slated for glass facade". Queens Courier. October 2, 2002. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Rhoades, Liz (July 1, 2010). "Caldor site project pushed back to October". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Saul, Michael (April 12, 2006). "Wal-mart Says 'No' to a Site in Queens". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Griffin, Allie (August 6, 2020). "City Shutters New World Mall in Flushing for Violating State-Mandated Closure During Pandemic". Jackson Heights Post. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Brand, David (August 6, 2020). "City shuts down popular Flushing mall over COVID violations". Queens Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Brand, David (August 7, 2020). "Parts of popular Flushing mall reopen after addressing COVID violations". Queens Daily Eagle. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c Joseph, George; Pallaro, Bianca; Chu, Haidee; Honan, Katie; Robbins, Tom; Xu, April (August 18, 2023). "New Questions Arise Over Adams Donors: One Says She Was Reimbursed, Others Say They Never Gave". The City. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Joseph, George; Katz, Alyssa; Gonen, Yoav; Honan, Katie (November 13, 2024). "Eric Adams aide under FBI investigation was key player at fundraiser with reported 'straw' donations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ Prater, Nia (March 1, 2024). "What We Know About the Latest Federal Raid on a Top Adams Aide". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Pallaro, Bianca; Honan, Katie; Gonen, Yoav (March 6, 2024). "Why Is the FBI Interested in the New World Mall, Eric Adams' Favorite Shopping Center?". The City. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Rashbaum, William K.; Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (February 29, 2024). "F.B.I. Searches Houses Owned by Adams's Asian Affairs Adviser". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Pallaro, Bianca; Root, Jay (August 2, 2024). "Secret Bundlers, Sham Donations: Adams Is Faulted in Campaign Audit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
