YEAR IN REVIEW
Top business stories of the year
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Queens reacts after
Amazon pulls out of multibillion
dollar plans for
Long Island City
Amazon decided to back
out of the divisive billion
dollar Long Island City deal
back in February 2019. The
world’s largest retail company
had plans to develop a
new campus in Anable Basin
and bring at least 25,000 jobs
to the area.
In a Feb. 14 letter, the company
said that although polls
showed “70 percent” of people
supported Amazon’s plan,
“a number of state and local
politicians have made it clear
that they oppose our presence
and will not work with us to
build the type of relationships
that are required to go
forward with the project.”
The city lost out on approximately
$27 billion in
economic revenue that Amazon
was projected to generate
over the next 25 years. Amazon
said that the yearly salary
for each job it brought over
would be $150,000.
Long Island City-based
organizations like Plaxall
and Long Island City Partnership
expressed disappointment
with Amazon’s
decision to back out. They
said that bringing Amazon to
Long Island City would have
promoted Anable Basin as a
center of “productivity and
innovation” and also that the
deal would have put investments
in the neighborhood’s
infrastructure, workforce development,
schools and mass
transit.
Discount retailer Daiso Japan
set to open first East
Coast store in Flushing’s
Shops at Skyview Center
The wildly popular Daiso
Japan opened its first East
Coast store in Flushing in
March. The discount retailer
opened a location in the
Shops at Skyview Center in
Flushing on Friday, March 8
at 10 a.m.
Daiso currently has more
than 2,800 stores across Japan
and over 600 stores overseas
in the United States, Mexico,
the Philippines, China, Australia
and Saudi Arabia. The
company’s aim is to help
consumers “maintain a high
standard of living without
spending more.”
Throughout the store,
shoppers can find products
that meet every household
need as well as novelty items.
Most items sell for about
$1.99 though certain products
have price points above or
below that amount.With 4,109
square feet of space, Daiso
Flushing features products
for holiday decor, organizing,
kitchenware, beauty, snacks
and unique gift items.
During the grand opening,
the first 100 customers
on March 8 and 9 received
goodie bags and prizes which
included an iPad Mini, an
Apple Watch and hundreds of
dollars in gift cards.
Kane’s Diner in Flushing
shuts its doors after
more than 50 years
in the business
A Flushing staple shut its
doors in May and hundreds
of customers came to eat one
last meal. In 1968, Ernie Kane
founded Kane’s Diner at 44-15
College Point Blvd. He passed
the establishment on to his
children George, Patricia and
Toni, who owned Kane’s for 15
years.
On April 25, the Kane siblings
made the announcement
on Facebook and thanked
their loyal customers for years
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.20 COM | DEC. 27-JAN. 2, 2020
of patronage. Multiple reports
said that the family sold the
property for $15 million Long
Island-based developer Kenny
Liu. Liu had previous experience
developing residential
properties in Flushing and
Rego Park.
Several longtime customers
came in to have a final
meal with their families.
South Ozone Park resident
Manny Lacayo came with his
family on April 28 to enjoy one
last plate of steak and eggs.
Even after Lacayo moved from
Elmhurst to South Ozone Park,
he opted to come to Kane’s over
diners near him.
George Kane was the head
manager of the establishment
since he and his siblings acquired
it from their father. His
sisters and co-owners Toni and
Patricia would come monthly
from their homes in Florida to
help run the diner.
HomeGoods set to open for
business at new College
Point location
HomeGoods announced
that it would set up shop in
College Point and opened its
doors on Nov. 3 at the College
Point Center. The location is
the fourth Queens location and
25th overall in New York State.
HomeGoods offers patrons “a
range of high-quality decor
from top brands and designers
and unique finds from around
the world.”
The 23,265-square-foot
store has everything from bedding
and gourmet food to storage
supplies and decor for kids
and pets. The price of goods is
typically 20 to 60 percent lower
than full-price retailers.
According to a statement
from HomeGoods, the home
decor experts expected to fill
about 65 full- and part-time positions.
In addition to the newest location
in College Point, Home-
Goods currently operates more
than 740 stores across the United
States.
During the opening day,
shoppers were treated to confections
from Honey Bee Cakes
in Whitestone while participating
in several fun games on
site.
Trader Joe’s to open
location in Long Island
City: Report
In December, reports said
that Trader Joe’s would be
heading to Long Island City.
A report from the LIC Post
said thatTrader Joe’s would be
coming to the fastest growing
neighborhood in the country
according to information from
“number of well-placed real estate
brokers.”
The California-based chain
is planning to open in the
Prime Building across the
street from MoMa PS1 at 22-
43 Jackson Ave. Trader Joe’s
currently has 500 stores across
the country, with 27 in New
York State. The Long Island
City location will be the second
in Queens, after the company
opened a location in Rego
Park.
Trader Joe’s will join a collection
of grocery stores in the
area including two Foodcellar
Markets in Hunters Point and
Court Square, an Urban Market
on 2nd Street and a Key
Food on 44th Drive.
The store’s founder Joe
Coulombe opened the first
Trader Joe’s location in 1967 in
Pasadena, Calif.
The interior of the Daiso Japan store that opened in California, in 2014. The Japanese retailer
announced it would open a store in Flushing in March 2019. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Nandaro
Amazon announced in February it would back out of its Long Island
City deal. Photo via Shutterstock
Kanes Diner at 44-15 College
Point Blvd. closed in May.
Photo: Jenna Bagcal/QNS