By Kathianne Boniello
Construction at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center appears to be ahead of schedule, but a spokesman for the Forest Hills developer that operates the retail area said he does not expect the work to conclude before a September deadline.
Work at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center at 26th Avenue and Bell Boulevard has been going on for about a year and includes construction of a parking garage and additional retail space at the sprawling center.
Chris Merritt, a spokesman for the Forest Hills-based Cord Meyer Development Co., said the weather has helped move work at Bay Terrace along.
“That’s been a positive thing for the construction,” Merritt said. “We’re looking for a scheduled goal of September” for the project’s completion, he said.
The Bay Terrace Shopping Center has several big chain stores, including Barnes & Noble, Victoria’s Secret, Applebee’s Restaurant, Outback Steakhouse, the Gap and Waldbaum’s. The center has a large parking lot in the middle of the complex and stores on the outer edge of the property.
While Merritt would not comment on the stores scheduled to move into the newly built retail space at Bay Terrace, a source said Men’s Warehouse and Banana Republic were expected to be among the incoming retailers.
At a Community Board 7 meeting last July, Cord Meyer representatives outline plans for the construction.
Plans included building the new parking garage, which will include 220 spaces and has been constructed in the southwestern corner of the shopping center. The garage is only open to employees to keep more spots in the main parking lot available for customers.
At the time Cord Meyer representatives said a reconfiguration and revamping of the center parking lot and the addition of several attendants to help direct traffic were being planned. The company was also studying the addition of a shuttle bus to take people around the shopping center and eliminate pedestrians crossing the wide parking lot.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
