St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst (Courtesy Facebook)

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced on February 10 that it will close seven Catholic elementary schools at the end of the 2025–2026 academic year, six of them located in Queens, after years of financial strain and declining enrollment.

Diocesan officials said the decision came after an extended review of school finances, enrollment patterns and future sustainability. Rising insurance and pension costs, combined with shrinking class sizes, left the schools operating with deficits totaling millions of dollars. Church leaders said that despite attempts to stabilize enrollment and cut costs, the schools could no longer continue in a financially responsible way.

“This is an extraordinarily difficult moment for our school communities,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, Superintendent of Schools. “These schools have served generations of families with dedication and faith. The decision to close them was made only after careful consideration and with great sorrow.”

The six Queens schools slated for closure have all seen sharp enrollment declines since 2019. Sacred Heart in Cambria Heights fell from 225 students to 134, St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst dropped from 175 to 138, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica declined from 320 to 144. Incarnation in Queens Village decreased from 183 to 98, St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven fell from 182 to 105, and St. Elizabeth in Ozone Park dropped from 212 to 157. The six Queens schools slated for closure have all seen sharp enrollment declines since 2019. Sacred Heart in Cambria Heights fell from 225 students to 134, St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst dropped from 175 to 138, and St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Jamaica declined from 320 to 144. Incarnation in Queens Village decreased from 183 to 98, St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven fell from 182 to 105, and St. Elizabeth in Ozone Park dropped from 212 to 157.

St. Thomas the Apostle in Woodhaven (www.stawoodhaven.org) 

The closures also include one Brooklyn campus, Our Lady of Trust in Canarsie, which saw a decline from 202 to 115 students over the same period, bringing the total number of affected schools across the diocese to seven.

Diocesan leaders said the sharpest losses occurred between 2024 and 2025, accelerating an already difficult trend. They said the closures mark the end of an era for many families but are necessary to preserve the broader Catholic school system.

The diocese said it will help families transition students to nearby Catholic academies and provide support to affected teachers and staff.

“Our responsibility is both pastoral and practical,” McCormack said. “We will walk with our families and employees through this process, while continuing to strengthen Catholic education throughout Brooklyn and Queens.”

All classes and school activities will continue through the end of the academic year. Church officials said expanding access to Catholic education in Queens remains a priority as students prepare to move to other diocesan schools.

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Residents of Middle Village gathered at Our Lady of Hope for the first meeting of the year on February 3rd to discuss longstanding community concerns, including the potential rebuilding of Saint Saviours Church, the impact of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) project, and local infrastructure issues.

Paul Pogozelski, president of the Middle Village Residents Association, opened the meeting with the customary Pledge of Allegiance, welcoming attendees.

The first talking point regarded the reconstruction or revitalization of an abandoned church at a local cemetery. Saint Saviours Church, a long-dormant landmark in Middle Village, has sat unused for decades on the grounds of All Faiths Cemetery, its remnants housed in deteriorating trailers. The church has become a symbol of both local history and civic frustration, as repeated efforts to restore it have stalled due to funding and logistical challenges. Recent coverage reignited interest in the church, bringing it back to the forefront of the neighborhood’s collective consciousness. The Landmarks Conservancy visited the site to inspect its remains, underscoring the urgency of determining whether the historic structure can be rebuilt.

At the meeting, James McClelland, a board member at All Faiths Cemetery and district manager for Community Board 9, provided an update on the project, describing it as “difficult and costly” and noting that the cemetery could not fund construction on its own. “Before we determine whether it can be done, we have to lay out the material on the lot,” McClelland said. “We can’t have the cemetery laying around with all this material to determine the structural integrity.”

He addressed residents’ concerns directly, including the cemetery’s pledge not to house lithium batteries on-site and its willingness to provide land within the district for reconstruction. The church’s remnants must be removed from the trailers and laid out on a covered quarter-acre of land for inspection, according to the Landmarks Conservancy, before any rebuilding can proceed. McClelland estimated the project could cost “6 to 7 million dollars” and emphasized that the church could eventually be opened to all faiths once safety and structural integrity are assured.

McClelland also addressed the IBX transit project, which has raised concerns among residents about traffic and neighborhood disruption. “Engineers have met to look at tunnels,” he said. “They mentioned widening the tunnels for this to work. They only mentioned this, never elaborated, may need to move the existing mausoleum.”

Some younger residents voiced mixed opinions. “It seems promising, but at the same time I don’t want to see Middle Village roaming with people who want to cause harm,” one attendee said.

Walter Sanchez, chair of Community Board 5, discussed local priorities and infrastructure issues, including the board’s first collaboration with Council Member Phil Wong on budget priorities. Historically dominated by sewer projects, the board has been advocating for the area’s aging infrastructure.

A public hearing on Feb. 11 allowed residents to comment on a proposed seven-story, 54-unit building on Fresh Pond Road, prompting questions about population growth and urban density. “Why do politicians want to flood this city with more and more people?” one resident asked during the discussion.

Charlie, from Council Member Wong’s office, reviewed Wong’s first month in office, noting meetings with the mayor, City Council Speaker, Department of Transportation, sanitation officials, MTA, parks department, Con Edison, local precincts, and the district attorney to address public safety, transit, and infrastructure issues. “He’s met with all three NYPD precincts that we serve,” Charlie said. “When our constituents call, we want to make sure we go out there and do something about it, not just close out the 911 calls.”

Miles, representing Assemblyman Steven Ragas’s office, highlighted community programs, including free tax preparation workshops and legal clinics held in late January. Mobile office hours for constituent services will continue throughout February.

The meeting concluded with John from Senator Addabbo’s office presenting a proclamation honoring Middle Village’s 210th anniversary. “I proudly recognize and celebrate the 210th anniversary of Middle Village, honoring its rich history, resilient spirit and bright future,” he said. Upcoming community events include paper shredding and e-waste recycling drives, as well as a big band concert and Veterans Day barbecue.

By Christian Spencer

The sudden closure of the Jamaica Colosseum Mall has left longtime vendors—some of whom have operated there for more than three decades—confused, saddened, and angry after being given less than 20 days to relocate.

Once a former Macy’s in Downtown Jamaica, the Jamaica Colosseum Mall opened in 1984 as a retail destination for up-and-coming Black, Asian, and Jewish merchants.

Over the decades, it became a hub for small businesses and a cultural landmark where entrepreneurs built livelihoods, customer bases, and generational businesses near Jamaica Avenue.

According to several business owners, the mall’s owner, Allied Jamaica LLC, delivered a verbal notice on Jan. 6, informing tenants that the mall would be shutting down and that all businesses would be required to vacate by the end of the month.

Vendors said no formal written notice was provided.

That identity, vendors say, has steadily eroded in recent years as redevelopment projects reshaped the surrounding neighborhood and redirected foot traffic away from the mall.

Several merchants told The Queens Ledger that the MTA’s decision to relocate service from the old 165th Street Bus Terminal to a temporary terminal on 168th Street delivered a major blow to the steady stream of commuters who once sustained the mall’s shops.

“The Colosseum has been a beacon for small businesses for the last 40 years,” said Peter Lohani, son of Prakash Lohani, owner of Hitech Jewelers, which has operated inside the mall for 15 years. “Every business that you have patronized in the Colosseum has been a mom-and-pop and mostly immigrant business. This is a dying breed in New York City.”

“He’s absolutely right,” said William E. Salmon, owner of Bill Boutique, which has operated a clothing and fur business in the mall for the past 10 years. “They relocated all the traffic to Archer Street, to the Archer train station. So nothing comes this way.”

For years, Salmon said, commuters exiting nearby transit hubs would naturally spill into the mall, creating steady business throughout the day and into the night. “Many years ago, everything used to come down 169th Street and would just trickle into here,” he said. “They used to have nightlife. They don’t have that no more.”

The demolition of nearby buildings to make way for a large private redevelopment project further accelerated the mall’s decline, leaving once-busy corridors increasingly quiet.

The mall was already facing uncertainty during the pandemic, when shifting traffic patterns caused some loyal shoppers to drift away.

As foot traffic continued to fall, the property at 89-02 165th St. was listed for purchase or lease in July 2025, as reported by The Queens Chronicles, signaling the owner’s intent to transition the site to new uses. The mall had previously been listed for sale in 2015 at $45 million.

For vendors, the downturn created an impossible equation: how could they continue paying rent on time when fewer people were walking through the doors each day?

Brij Nayyar, owner of Ace Leather Inc., said the sudden shutdown came after years of mixed messages from management.

Despite persistent rumors that the mall might be sold, vendors were repeatedly reassured it would remain open.

“Every year we asked, because there were rumors,” Nayyar said. “They always told us, ‘No, it’s not sold. Don’t worry.’ And then all of a sudden, they give us 20 days and tell us to leave.”

Nayyar, who has operated his leather business in the mall for more than 33 years, said the timing of the closure was especially damaging.

Ace Leather’s business is seasonal, with winter traditionally bringing the strongest sales.

“The whole year I pay the rent, and this is the time I make money. Now they are throwing us out in the winter. We have nowhere to go in 20 days.”

Despite the mall’s reputation among some as a flea-market-style shopping center, Salmon said his business operated at a higher end and attracted customers from across the region.

“I sell furs from $2,000 up to $20,000,” he said. “Rappers have bought stuff from me. I never really felt that effect because I had high-end merchandise.”

Salmon said he had no direct relationship with the building’s owners and was contacted only by management regarding the closure.

He was told Jan. 31 would be the final day of sales, followed by a 60-day window to remove merchandise.

Now preparing to relocate his business to Lynbrook on Long Island, Salmon said he is focusing on what comes next rather than dwelling on what’s being lost. “Everything comes to an end,” he said. “They’re changing the whole climate around here. There’s really nothing you can do.”

“Some of the vendors I spoke to have announced that they’re going to retire from the business altogether,” Lohani said. “Others have already found new locations. And then there’s people like myself who have no clue where we’re gonna go.”

As the Jamaica Colosseum Mall prepares to shutter its doors, the space that once revitalized Downtown Jamaica after widespread disinvestment and abandonment in the 1970s and contributed to the borough’s hip-hop legacy, The Amsterdam News reported.

The mall played a notable role in hip-hop culture, hosting music videos by LL Cool J and Wu-Tang Clan, serving as a hangout for locals like 50 Cent and Run-DMC, Jay-Z was known to shop at the mall with his rap mentor Jaz-O, launching FUBU (For Us By Us, founded by Daymond John).

As the Jamaica Colosseum Mall prepares to shutter its doors, the space is expected to play a role in the broader redevelopment of Downtown Jamaica under the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan.

According to Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the rezoning initiative will transform 230 blocks into 12,000 housing units and other infrastructure projects.

“I would not be surprised if it had a component of first-floor retail, but also some housing in that area,” Grech told the Chronicle.

The Queens Ledger has reached out to Jamaica Colosseum Mall administrators for comment.