Tenants wanted for empty stores

The Lynbrook village board recently met with Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials in the hope of revitalizing a group of vacant storefronts underneath the railroad tracks on Atlantic Avenue. The properties, which are owned by the MTA, were long ago deemed in need of improvement by the village.

According to Village Administrator John Giordano, the board met with MTA representatives to discuss property leasing and renovations on Aug. 5, after which the MTA issued a request for proposals to attract potential tenants to renovate the almost 70-year-old buildings.

“What is significant is that for the past couple of years, the MTA was going to let the village maintain the property and sublease to various tenants,” Giordano said. “The village was going to be the middleman and make sure the stores were occupied, which was the original plan. But the MTA wants to find tenants to [occupy the stores] and do the renovations on their own.”

Giordano added that the village wants to remain involved in the leasing process, helping to distribute the RFP, because the MTA has had substantial difficulty renting the properties, which are in the busiest area of the village’s downtown. The MTA is offering 10 years’ free rent to potential tenants because of the extensive renovations the buildings will require, according to Trustee Alan Beach.

Two of the storefronts, at 45 and 48 Atlantic Ave., were once leased to Harry Levitt, of Mur-Lee’s Men’s and Boys Designer Clothing, and Kanti Vadsola, of Picker Pharmacy, as reported in the Herald last October. But the stores have been vacant for nearly six years, since 2005, and the village would like to fill them.

Chamber of Commerce Vice President Jeff Greenfield said he is pleased with Mayor Brian Curran’s efforts to revitalize the district. “The mayor is working very aggressively and pushing the issue and the MTA,” Greenfield said. “The chamber is thankful and appreciative. It is always good to have stores there to bring in people.”

Village officials, along with business owners and residents, recognized last year that a host of repairs needed to be done before any of the stores could open their doors — which could cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars, according to Giordano. There is extensive damage in the storefronts on the west side of Atlantic Avenue, and the former Picker Pharmacy building needs a new roof, which Giordano thinks will be difficult to repair because it is right under the tracks.

“The storefronts are in terrible condition,” Beach said. “Little things like this take away from the village. There should be a positive way to utilize the property.”

In an e-mail to the Herald last October, LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena detailed the MTA’s efforts to renovate the run-down stores. “The MTA and the Long Island Rail Road are anxious to see the buildings at 45 and 48 Atlantic Ave. restored as viable business or office sites,” Arena wrote. “We welcomed a proposal by the Village of Lynbrook. The properties have been vacant since 2005 after previous tenants failed to maintain the sites as they were required to do ... under the lease.”

With the revitalization, Giordano explained, many more residents and visitors would take advantage of local shopping and amenities, and make the downtown area more vibrant. “There are multiple reasons to revitalize the stores,” he said. “We don’t want vacant storefronts in the downtown area, and we want to attract more pedestrian use there.” Giordano also said that the village wants to circulate the RFP to nonprofit organizations and cultural arts agencies that might use one of the buildings for the performing arts.

Village Trustee Hilary Becker agreed with Giordano. “I think it is wonderful that the MTA is stepping up to the plate,” Becker said at a village board meeting on Aug. 16. “This action by the MTA is extremely important to the revitalization of the downtown area. It will create jobs, and residents need that.”