71-53-Austin-Street-Queens-0813

DNAinfo shares more details on the new retail build at 71-53 Austin Street, in Forest Hills. The building, with 12,000 square feet of retail space, should be ready in about four months. According to sources, the owner is considering both an H&M and a chain pharmacy. (Back in August, it looked like an H&M was in the works.) The Forest Hills residents DNAinfo spoke with aren’t thrilled about the modern design of the building, or the possibility of a chain retailer moving in and potentially increasing the rents.

H&M Being Considered for Building on Austin Street [DNAinfo]
More Rumblings on the Austin Street H&M [Q’Stoner]
Could New Retail Building Planned for Forest Hills Be Future Home of H&M? [Q’Stoner]


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. There is already signage at this location indicating an urgent care clinic is coming, no H&M. Let’s hope its a quality 24 hour facility that can be utilized instead of the awful ER at Forest Hills hospital. With the large population of elderly in FH who don’t drive, this sounds like a very good and practical business.

  2. Guy, no one in Queens goes into the city for H&M they just go to the nearby Queens Center Mall. For discounts on clothing they go to Rego Park Center Mall. Austin St. is like a strip mall in Jersey with all the chain stores and eateries on it. It’s perfect for the working and middle class families living there that need to stretch a buck.

  3. I am a Forest Hills resident and I think that an H&M store would be a great addition to the neighborhood. While Austin Street does already have some chain clothing stores, an H&M would bring a different vibe to Austin Street than the current stores like the Gap and Banana Republic. H&M is known for appealing to younger people and I think the presence of an H&M store in Forest Hills would help attract more younger people to the neighborhood. This has already been happening but an H&M store would be another way to attract more younger people to Forest Hills.
    As for one of the comments in the article that the design of the store does not fit in with the character of the neighborhood, I don’t agree at all. The Forest Hills commercial district along Austin Street already has many different types of storefronts. Austin Street is not a residential area, so I don’t see how having a sleek and modern storefront on Austin Street takes anything away from the neighborhood’s character in the residential areas. In fact, I think such a storefront would improve the neighborhood because it would attract younger people to shop in Forest Hills who would otherwise have to go into Manhattan to shop at H&M.