Target to open in Long Island City’s One Court Square on April 2

The popular retail chain Target will open on April 2 at 1 Court Square West in Long Island City, pictured on Feb. 10, 2023 (Photo (l) by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post, and provided by Target(r))

Feb. 23, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

The popular retail chain Target will open its first store in Long Island City on April 2, according to a spokesperson for the company.

Target will open a 31,000-square-foot store at 1 Court Square West, a retail building connected to the former Citigroup Building known as One Court Square, a spokesperson told the Queens/LIC Post on Thursday, Feb. 23.

“The store will bring an easy, safe, and convenient shopping experience to new guests in the community,” the spokesperson said.

The company, which has nearly 2,000 stores across the U.S., is expected to occupy the entire 23,400-square-foot second floor and a portion of the third floor of the building, the New York Post reported previously. It will also have a dedicated ground-floor entrance, according to the publication.

“As we get closer to opening the store, we’ll have more specific details to share – including how the shopping experience will be tailored to serve local guests and the grand opening date,” the Target spokesperson said.

Target is taking a 31,000-square-foot space at 1 Court Square West, a four-story retail building connected to the former Citigroup Building known as One Court Square, pictured on Feb. 10, 2023 (Photo by Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

The four-story building once housed the Court Square branch of the Queens Public Library and has recently been undergoing renovations

The branch occupied the 3,200-square-foot ground floor space since 1989 and was forced to vacate the space in 2020 by the building’s owner Savanna Realty. The real estate investment management firm, which purchased the building in 2014, wanted to replace the library with a market-rate tenant.

The library vacated the space after the lease it entered into with Citigroup in 1989 — for $1 per year — ended and the library was unable to renegotiate similar terms.

One Court Square — standing 53 stories tall — was once the tallest building outside of Manhattan in the city and the former home of Citigroup offices. In 2020, the iconic Citi logos atop the tower were removed and replaced with a logo for Altice, a cable network provider that is now headquartered in the building.

The Long Island City Target will be the seventh in Queens. There are six existing Target stores across the borough and an eighth location is set to open in Astoria in the former location of Key Food.