Rego Center
A major shopping center in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens, New York City.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Rego Center is a shopping center in Rego Park, Queens, New York City. The complex occupies a large urban retail site bounded by the Long Island Expressway, Junction Boulevard, Queens Boulevard, 63rd Road, and 97th Street. It is operated and managed by Vornado Realty Trust and serves the densely populated neighborhoods of central Queens. The property’s retail history predates the Rego Center name. The site originally housed the Queens location of Alexander’s, a New York department-store chain. After Alexander’s left, Caldor acquired the location and planned to open a store there in 1995, but the project was interrupted when Caldor filed for bankruptcy. Sears subsequently opened at the site in 1996. The first phase later included a mix of national discount, apparel, home-furnishings, and department-store retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, Old Navy, and Burlington Coat Factory. A substantial second phase opened on March 3, 2010, adding approximately 950,000 square feet of retail space. Its initial tenant roster included Costco, Century 21, Kohl’s, Panera Bread, Toys “R” Us, and T.J. Maxx. Aldi joined the center in February 2011, followed by Staples later that year. The development also experienced tenant changes associated with wider retail-industry disruption, including the closures of Sears, Toys “R” Us, Kohl’s, Century 21, IKEA, and Bed Bath & Beyond locations. The center has also incorporated residential development. In July 2015, Vornado opened The Alexander, a 24-story residential tower containing 314 apartments above Phase II. The building was designed to serve growing demand from young professionals moving into the area, with studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Rego Center functions as a destination for grocery, warehouse, home, apparel, electronics, beauty, pet, restaurant, and everyday-service shopping. Its tenant mix has included Costco, Aldi, Petco, T.J. Maxx, Burlington, Marshalls, Best Buy, Five Below, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and other national and regional operators. Because several spaces have been reused after major chain departures, the center illustrates the continual repositioning of large suburban-style retail properties within New York City’s urban environment. The center is distinct from nearby Queens Place Mall, although the two properties compete for customers and some retailers have relocated between them. Rego Center remains an active retail and mixed-use complex, with its long-term tenant composition subject to ongoing leasing and redevelopment decisions.
History
The Rego Center site began as the Queens location of Alexander’s, a New York department-store chain. After Alexander’s departure, Caldor acquired the property and intended to open a store in 1995. Those plans were halted when Caldor entered bankruptcy proceedings. Sears later established a store at the location in 1996. The original retail phase developed into a multi-tenant shopping center. Its early and established occupants included Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, Old Navy, and Burlington Coat Factory. The property was later expanded through Phase II, which opened on March 3, 2010. The expansion added about 950,000 square feet of retail space and introduced several large national tenants, including Costco, Century 21, Kohl’s, Panera Bread, Toys “R” Us, and T.J. Maxx. Aldi opened in February 2011, while Staples opened nearby in November of that year. Vornado Realty Trust, the developer and manager, added residential use to the project in response to increasing demand for housing in the area. The Alexander opened in July 2015 as a 24-story, 314-unit apartment tower built above Phase II. Approximately one-fifth of the apartments were studios, with the remainder primarily one- and two-bedroom units. The center’s subsequent history reflects broader changes in American retail. Staples closed by the end of 2016 and was replaced by Petco in February 2017. Sears closed in April 2017. Toys “R” Us closed in 2018 following the chain’s decision to shut its United States stores, and the premises were later occupied by Toy City. Kohl’s closed in April 2019. Century 21 shut its Rego Park location in October 2020 after announcing a nationwide closure program. The former Sears space was repositioned for IKEA, which opened there on January 11, 2021. The store suffered severe damage during Hurricane Ida in September of that year. IKEA announced the location’s closure in October 2022 and subsequently bought out its lease in February 2024. The former Kohl’s space was taken by At Home, which opened in April 2021. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in July 2023 following the company’s bankruptcy and liquidation of its remaining United States stores. Old Navy departed in January 2024. Rego Center has also been affected by prospective and abandoned leasing plans. Home Depot withdrew from a rental arrangement in late 2008 amid declining profitability, and Costco ultimately occupied the relevant space. Walmart was considered as a possible New York City tenant in 2005, but opposition from community and other groups helped end that proposal. The property continues to operate as a mixed-use retail destination. Its tenants have represented warehouse clubs, supermarkets, discount department stores, apparel, electronics, home goods, restaurants, pet care, personal services, and other everyday categories. Its location near major roads and public transportation, together with the adjoining Alexander apartments, supports a broad customer base from Queens and the wider New York metropolitan area.
- 2024
IKEA exits the property
[1]IKEA buys out its Rego Center lease after announcing the store’s closure.
- 2023
Bed Bath & Beyond closes
[1]The Bed Bath & Beyond store closes during the company’s bankruptcy-related liquidation.
- 2021
IKEA and At Home open
[1]IKEA opens in the former Sears space in January, while At Home opens in the former Kohl’s space in April.
- 2017
Sears closes
[1]The Sears store closes in April after being included in a national closure program.
- 2015
The Alexander opens
[1]Vornado opens a 24-story, 314-unit residential tower above Phase II.
- 2011
Aldi and Staples join the center
[1]Aldi opens in February, followed by Staples in November.
- 2010
Phase II opens
[1]The second phase opens with approximately 950,000 square feet of retail space.
- 2008
Home Depot withdraws from rental arrangement
[1]Home Depot withdraws from a planned arrangement, and the space is later used by Costco.
- 2005
Walmart proposal is abandoned
[1]A potential Walmart tenancy is dropped after opposition to the retailer’s proposed New York City expansion.
- 1996
Sears opens at the property
[1]Sears becomes the principal department-store tenant at the site.
Products and positioning
A large, accessible urban shopping center combining national-value retailers, grocery and warehouse formats, restaurants, services, and adjacent residential units for Queens shoppers.
Shopping mall
Retail shopping center
Rego Center provides a multi-tenant retail environment with large-format stores, discount retailers, grocery operators, restaurants, specialty shops, and service businesses. The center’s tenant mix has changed over time as national chains have entered, relocated, or closed stores.
Residential apartments · 2015
The Alexander
The Alexander is a 24-story, 314-unit apartment tower built above Rego Center Phase II. It includes studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom residences and gives the property a mixed-use residential component.
Warehouse retail
Costco
Costco operates a large-format warehouse store at Rego Center, combining bulk merchandise, groceries, household products, and membership-based retail services. It replaced the space associated with a withdrawn Home Depot arrangement.
Grocery retail · 2011
Aldi
Aldi operates a discount supermarket at the center, offering groceries and everyday household items in a compact value-oriented format.
Consumer electronics
Best Buy
Best Buy is identified in the reference material as occupying the former Toys “R” Us space after relocating from nearby Queens Place Mall.
Pet retail and services · 2017
Petco
Petco occupies the former Staples space and provides pet supplies and related retail services.
Brand decisions
2021
Open IKEA and At Home replacement conceptsProduct launchBackground
Large vacancies created by the departures of Sears and Kohl’s required substantial tenant repositioning.
Action taken
IKEA opened in the former Sears space, while At Home opened in the former Kohl’s space.
Aftermath
Both vacancies were temporarily reoccupied, although IKEA later announced its departure and At Home subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings.
2015
Add residential development above Phase IIStrategyBackground
Growing demand from young professionals in the surrounding area created an opportunity to integrate housing with the retail complex.
Action taken
Vornado opened The Alexander, a 24-story, 314-unit apartment tower above Phase II.
Aftermath
Rego Center became a mixed-use retail and residential property.
2008
Replace withdrawn Home Depot plan with CostcoStrategyBackground
Home Depot withdrew from a rental arrangement during a period of weaker profitability.
Action taken
The space was subsequently leased to Costco, adding a warehouse-club anchor to the center.
Aftermath
Costco became one of the center’s principal large-format tenants.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/rego-center · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled