'Great for the neighborhood': Target hosts soft opening for new Long Island City location

New Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The popular retail chain Target opened its first store in Long Island City on Tuesday, March 28 — three days before its official grand opening is set to take place (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

March 29, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

The popular retail chain Target held a soft opening for its new store in Long Island City on Tuesday, March 28, three days before its official grand opening.

Target is opening its new store at 1 Court Square West, a retail building connected to the former Citigroup Building known as One Court Square.

The company, which has nearly 2,000 stores across the U.S., is occupying the entire 23,400-square-foot second floor and a portion of the third floor of the building. Target is using the second floor as its retail area while the third floor is understood to be office space.

The store’s shelves were fully stocked when the Queens/LIC Post visited the premises earlier Wednesday. Target offers a wide variety of food and general merchandise — including clothing, household goods, electronics and toys.

There is also a CVS pharmacy located inside the store on the second floor, although it has yet to open.

The store is spacious with high ceilings and all new fittings.

The front entrance is on 44th Drive and customers can access the retail area via two escalators – one going up and one going down — and two elevators located in the lobby area.

Customers leaving the store on Wednesday said they were very happy the company decided to come to Long Island City.

“It’s awesome, it has everything,” said one man in his 30s who lives directly across the street at Skyline Tower.

A woman who was with her 3-year-old son said she was also happy with her purchases.

“I think it’s great for the neighborhood, it’s badly needed,” she said.

The fresh food and dairy section at the store (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The kitchenware section at the store (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The clothing section at the Target store in Long Island City (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The store will service the Court Square section of Long Island City, which has seen a population boom in recent years with several new high-rise apartment buildings going up in the neighborhood. The new developments include the Skyline Tower, which has 802 condos, and Linc LIC, which has 709 rental units at 43-10 Crescent St.

Another woman, named Leena, said she was mostly satisfied with her experience, although she believes there is room for improvement.

“I thought there would be a bigger pet area,” she said. “A lot of people in this neighborhood have dogs or cats so hopefully they will expand that section of the store.”

Ryan McNeill, the store director, said Target staff members are thrilled to be serving the community.

“We’re excited to bring the joy of Target to new guests and help them discover a unique shopping experience tailored to the needs of the community,” McNeill said.

Customers can use a self-check-out area on the second floor to make purchases or use a traditional checkout manned by a cashier.

McNeill said shoppers can also have ordered items delivered to their door via the company’s website.

Opening hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, according to a sign on the front door of the store.