Kings Plaza
A large enclosed shopping center in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, New York.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Kings Plaza, officially the Kings Plaza Shopping Center, is an enclosed retail and entertainment complex in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, New York City. It occupies a prominent site at the southeast corner of Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U, close to Floyd Bennett Field and the Mill Basin waterfront. With more than 120 stores and approximately 4,200 retail-service jobs, it is generally described as Brooklyn's largest indoor shopping center. The property is owned and managed by Macerich and serves a broad customer base from southeastern Brooklyn and nearby parts of Queens and Long Island. The center originated during a period of rapid residential growth in Flatlands and Canarsie. Alexander's department-store chain announced plans in the mid-1960s to establish a major store in southeast Brooklyn, competing with E. J. Korvette for the location. The development subsequently became a joint project involving Alexander's and Macy's. Groundbreaking took place on July 8, 1968, with financing from John Hancock Financial and the participation of New York City and Brooklyn officials. Construction also brought improvements to nearby Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U, as well as a dedicated bus terminal intended to make the new shopping center accessible to local residents. Kings Plaza opened shortly after Labor Day in September 1970 with 79 stores. It was notable as New York City's first fully enclosed and air-conditioned shopping center. Its original tenant mix combined large department stores with specialty shops, restaurants, a two-screen cinema, and a marina on Mill Basin. Sbarro opened one of its earliest locations at the center, and the property quickly expanded to approximately 125 stores. During its first decade, Kings Plaza became an important commercial and transportation destination, although its scale also generated complaints about congestion on surrounding residential streets. The mall's ownership and anchor-tenancy structure changed repeatedly. Macy's transferred its remaining ownership interest to Alexander's in stages, with Alexander's ultimately acquiring the full interest in 1998. Alexander's bankruptcy in 1992 led to the closure of its stores, including the Kings Plaza location, and its real-estate assets continued under the control and management of Vornado Realty Trust. Sears later occupied the former Alexander's space, beginning in 1997. A major renovation launched in 1999, including a new glass entrance and interior improvements. Kings Plaza has continued to adapt its footprint to changing retail conditions. A proposed early-2000s expansion on an eastern parking area was reduced after community opposition over traffic and development transparency. The resulting Lowe's project opened in July 2010. The original movie theater closed that year, and part of its former space was converted for Best Buy. Macerich acquired Kings Plaza from the Vornado-related portfolio in a transaction completed in late 2012, followed by upgrades to the parking garage, facade, signage, common areas, and interior finishes. More recent changes have reflected the decline of traditional department stores and the growth of value-oriented and international fashion retailers. Sears announced its closure in 2016, and portions of the former space were reconfigured for Primark and Zara. Burlington opened in former Sears office space in 2018, while JCPenney introduced a multilevel store in another portion of the former anchor area. JCPenney closed in September 2020 during its national bankruptcy-related store reduction, and Target opened in that space in late 2021. Other prominent tenants have included Macy's, Cotton On, Sephora, Guess, and various food and service businesses. The center also has distinctive infrastructure. A rooftop cogeneration facility, known as the Kings Plaza Total Energy Plant, uses natural-gas engines to produce electricity and recover waste heat for building heating and cooling. An interconnection added under Macerich allo…
History
The Kings Plaza site was previously used by a Standard Oil petroleum-storage facility built during the 1930s. Later occupants included a plastics manufacturer and an automobile garage. In 1965, Alexander's announced plans for a department store at Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U, responding to population growth in southeastern Brooklyn. The project was developed as a joint venture with Macy's, and ground was broken on July 8, 1968. The development was financed by John Hancock Financial and included improvements to surrounding roads and the construction of a bus terminal. Kings Plaza opened in September 1970 with 79 stores. It was the first fully enclosed and air-conditioned shopping center in New York City. The original complex included Alexander's and Macy's anchor stores, a two-screen cinema, restaurants, specialty shops, and a marina. Sbarro was among the early tenants. The property expanded to roughly 125 stores within a year, becoming a major retail and transportation destination for Brooklyn. Local residents initially objected to traffic generated by the center and blocked nearby side streets during protests around the opening period. The mall's early decades included debates over security and parking. By 1983, the parking lot handled roughly 20,000 cars per day, and merchants expressed concern about theft. The owners proposed a parking charge to fund improvements and security. After community opposition and a temporary city-ordered suspension, paid parking began in January 1984. Macy's sold its 50 percent ownership interest to Alexander's in 1985, and Alexander's acquired the rest in 1998. Alexander's entered bankruptcy in 1992 and closed its stores, leaving its real-estate interests to continue through an affiliate of Vornado Realty Trust. Sears occupied the former Alexander's space from 1997 until its later closure. A $50 million renovation began in 1999 and included a new glass entrance and upgrades to the interior. During the early 2000s, the owners proposed an eastern expansion with additional retail, a home-improvement store, a replacement multiplex, and parking. Community opposition focused on traffic and the perceived lack of public disclosure. The plan was reduced to a Lowe's project, which opened on July 23, 2010. The original AMC Loews cinema closed in January of that year, and the former theater area was subsequently converted for Best Buy. In 2012, Vornado-related ownership announced plans to sell Kings Plaza. Macerich announced its acquisition later that year, and the transaction closed at the end of 2012. Macerich then undertook improvements to the parking garage, exterior facade, signage, interior common areas, and decor. The redevelopment of the former Sears anchor followed the broader transformation of department-store retail. Primark and Zara were planned for portions of the space, Burlington opened in former fourth-floor office areas in 2018, and JCPenney opened a multilevel store in another section. JCPenney closed in September 2020, and Target opened in the former JCPenney space in late 2021. Kings Plaza has remained notable for its large parking structure, dedicated bus terminal, waterfront marina, and rooftop cogeneration plant. The plant originally used diesel engines and later operated with natural-gas engines supplied by Deutz AG. Recovered heat supports building heating and cooling, while an interconnection can send surplus electricity to the Con Edison grid. By the mid-2020s, the property still operated as a major Brooklyn shopping center but had experienced vacant storefronts and materially lower traffic than during its earlier peak.
- 2021
Target opens
[1]Target opened in the former JCPenney location.
- 2018
Burlington and JCPenney redevelopment opens
[1]Burlington and a new multilevel JCPenney store occupied portions of the former Sears footprint.
- 2012
Macerich acquires Kings Plaza
[1]Macerich acquired the property from the Vornado-related enclosed-mall portfolio.
- 2010
Lowe's opens
[1]The scaled-back eastern redevelopment culminated in the opening of Lowe's on July 23.
- 1999
Major renovation begins
[1]A reported $50 million renovation program upgraded the entrance and interior spaces.
- 1997
Sears occupies former Alexander's space
[1]Sears opened in the vacant department-store anchor location.
- 1992
Alexander's files for bankruptcy
[1]Alexander's closed its stores, while its real-estate interests continued through a Vornado-related affiliate.
- 1984
Paid parking begins
[1]After protests and a brief city-ordered suspension, the mall began collecting parking fees.
- 1970
Kings Plaza opens
[1]The enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center opened in September with 79 stores.
- 1968
Groundbreaking
[1]Construction began on July 8 for the Macy's and Alexander's joint development.
Products and positioning
A large, transit-connected regional shopping center serving southeastern Brooklyn through a combination of department stores, value retailers, international fashion chains, specialty stores, food services, parking, and community-oriented infrastructure.
Anchor retail · 1970
Department stores and general merchandise
Kings Plaza's anchor strategy has included large department and general-merchandise retailers. Macy's has remained a major anchor, while former anchor spaces occupied by Alexander's, Sears, and JCPenney have been successively redeveloped for newer formats including Burlington and Target.
Specialty retail
Fashion and apparel retail
The mall hosts fashion and apparel chains serving different price segments, including Primark, Zara, Cotton On, and Guess. These stores form an important part of the property's post-department-store tenant mix and provide clothing, footwear, and accessories.
Specialty retail
Beauty and cosmetics
Beauty retail is represented by specialty operators such as Sephora, complementing the cosmetics and personal-care ranges traditionally associated with department-store shopping.
Home and technology retail · 2010
Home improvement and electronics
The wider Kings Plaza property includes Lowe's, which opened in 2010 after a contested expansion plan, and Best Buy, which occupied part of the former cinema space after the original movie theater closed.
Leisure and food services · 1970
Dining and entertainment
The center's original offering included a two-screen cinema and restaurants, including Cooky's Steak Pub. The cinema later closed, but dining and food-service tenants remain part of the shopping-center proposition.
Property services · 1970
Shopping-center infrastructure
Kings Plaza provides a large parking garage, a dedicated bus terminal, a waterfront marina, and a rooftop cogeneration plant. These facilities support access, transportation, and building operations in addition to the retail uses.
Brand decisions
2016
Reconfigure the former Sears anchorGeneration changeBackground
Sears announced plans to close its Kings Plaza store amid broader pressure on traditional department stores.
Action taken
Macerich and its partners planned to divide and redevelop the space for Primark, Zara, Burlington, and JCPenney.
Aftermath
The anchor was converted into a multi-tenant retail area, with Burlington and JCPenney opening in 2018; JCPenney later closed and Target took over its space.
2012
Macerich acquires the shopping centerM&ABackground
Vornado-related ownership placed Kings Plaza and other enclosed malls on the market.
Action taken
Macerich announced the acquisition in 2012 and completed the transaction later that year.
Aftermath
Macerich assumed ownership and management and initiated substantial property and common-area improvements.
2009
Reduce proposed eastern expansion to Lowe's projectStrategyBackground
The proposed retail and entertainment expansion generated community concern over traffic and the development process.
Action taken
The developers reduced the plan to a single Lowe's home-improvement store, which opened in July 2010.
Aftermath
The eastern portion of the site gained a major home-improvement tenant without the originally proposed multiplex and larger mall addition.
1983
Introduce paid parkingStrategyBackground
Mall owners sought funding for security and property improvements as vehicle use and concerns about theft increased.
Action taken
A parking fee was proposed for late 1983, delayed after community opposition, briefly suspended by the city, and ultimately reinstated in January 1984.
Aftermath
Paid parking became an enduring feature of the center and remained controversial among nearby residents and shoppers.
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