Brokerages waiting for critical mass in Long Island City

From the February issue: Some of Manhattan’s largest real estate brokerages are muscling in on Queens brokers’ turf to market new developments going up in Long Island City. But with the exception of one firm joining the handful of local mom-and-pop shops, most are not yet opening up offices there, in part because of a lack of non-new development housing. Manhattan-based Prudential Douglas Elliman, which is actively considering a new office in the neighborhood, has become one of the biggest players in the Queens market, with offices in Flushing and Bayside. Elliman is the exclusive agent for the Powerhouse, which is scheduled for a July 2008 opening.