Jamaica Colosseum Mall prepares to close as Queens remembers the beloved after-school hangout

A Queens shopping mall that defined a generation, the Jamaica Colosseum Mall, is closing its doors for good on Jan. 31.

Now, locals are remembering the after-school hangout that shaped the style and culture of the borough.

"Everybody would meet here in the Colosseum"

Long before it was a struggling mall, the Colosseum was a landmark of hip-hop culture, immortalized in lyrics and music videos since the 1980s.

"You could meet anyone here. You could meet any celebrity, any star," Terri Renae Green said. "One day, Biz Markie, who was huge to the hip-hop culture, he walked in his pajamas."

It was also a favorite meeting place for local teens in search of sneakers, jewelry and mixtapes. 

"I got my gold tooth here. I got my two-finger ring," she said.

"A lot of high schools are around the neighborhood, so they all got out school at the same, and everybody would meet here in the Colosseum," Taiwan "Mr. Fingaz" Green said.

For Dave Huie, it was both a refuge and a training ground.

"It also taught you how to be tough for your future life because you had to really come here and pay attention," he said.

"The Colosseum is royalty"

Longtime general manager Thomas Logan says the Colosseum started as an indoor flea market in 1984 and became a hub for small business. But foot traffic dwindled in recent years, he says, the decline accelerated by the 2025 removal of the bus terminal across the street.

"Since we reopened from the COVID, every month has been in the red," he said.

He says the mall property is now on the market.

"I'm sick about this. I'm saddened about it," he said. "The Colosseum is royalty."

After 32 years, the time has come for vendor Julian Embrack to pack up his mall embroidery stall Kristal Wings.

"The Colosseum Mall has given me a home, put my children through college," he said. "It will be surely missed."

Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech would like to see some space kept for vendors in whatever comes next.

"We're also hoping for some additional housing and maybe some housing for veterans," he said. "It's a prime piece of real estate."

Farewell block party planned

With his community's help, Taiwan Green is organizing a farewell block party, where guests can pose like they did as teens in front of distinctive artwork.

"You had to come from all over to get a shot right there in front of those famous backdrops," he said.

Embrack is grateful for the neighborhood's loyalty as he considers what's next for his business.

"My customers here, they're pouring in with support," he said. "The Colosseum Mall, it will live on in our memory."

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