Business picking up in Cedarhurst

Despite a continued sluggish economy, the commercial vacancy rate in the Village of Cedarhurst has declined in the past four months. Though some businesses have closed, storefronts don’t remain empty for long.

In April, the village’s vacancy rate was 7.4 percent. It is now down to 6.7 percent, even with the closures of the King David Delicatessen and Subway in the past few months.

Officials divide the number of empty stores by the total number of available business spaces to compute the vacancy rate.

On Central Avenue, the village’s main thoroughfare, 10 businesses are vacant. The Garden of Eden and Bari Restaurant storefronts on Cedarhurst Avenue are empty, as are seven other retail spaces on various streets throughout the village — a total of 19 vacancies out of 283 available business spaces.

“Even in a good economy, many villages’ vacancy rates are never as low as 6 percent,” said Ari Brown, the village trustee who serves as the board’s liaison to the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District. The BID is an organization of village landlords who fund enhancements to the business area, ranging from tree lighting to sidewalk repair. The group also runs special events, such as its annual summer sidewalk sale and Black Friday weekend, to generate more customer traffic in the stores and restaurants.

Brown said that the storefronts such as King David Deli will not stay vacant for long, and retail remains a strong draw. “The fact that we get so much retail coming in is rare,” he said. “You usually see many restaurants and nail salons.”

The manner in which the village and the Building Department cater to businesses makes it easy for people to open a business in Cedarhurst, Brown explained. “They always find a way to make it work,” he said. “You get quick answers and decisions, and we make it very nice and accommodating.”

According to the village, two new tenants are expected at the former Subway, at 529 Central Ave., and at 456 Central Ave., formerly Pik-a-Pak. Brown said the tenants could not be identified.

Jeremy Merrill, owner of Dimples, at 554 Central Ave., has been in business for six years, and said he has seen a few of the vacant storefronts fill up recently. “The restaurants and banks often close due to competition,” Merrill said. “But as I was driving down from Cedarhurst Avenue to Washington Avenue, I noticed more stores filling up.”

The owner of Miri Design, a women’s clothing store at 515 Central Ave., declined to be identified, but said she feels that rents are too high in the village, which prevents stores from staying open. “I want to see more high-end retail stores come to the area,” she said. “I want this to remain an exciting shopping area. We always have well-attended sidewalk sales because people know there are wonderful stores in Cedarhurst, and I want to keep that reputation in this area.”

The former Pump It Up children’s gymnasium, at 136 Washington Ave., remains empty. Brown and Merrill said they would like to see something replace it soon. “That’s one of the only stores I haven’t heard anything about,” Brown said.

He added that Cedarhurst’s 283 stores bring life to the village. “It’s nice to see a village this vibrant and active,” he said. “I really think we are an inspiration to other villages.”