by: Tiffany Razzano
The most notable area of vacant retail space is the eastern end of the village, near P.C. Richard. There, many larger buildings remain empty, including the former locations of Porch and Patio, European Living and, most prominently, the former home of the Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, which has been vacant since January.
The former movie theater, which sits on property zoned for entertainment and retail use, is an eyesore for the community, according to Michael Shenker, president of the Chamber of Commerce. There has been much speculation about what's in store for the property.
According to real estate broker Lee Ostrick of American Commercial, there have been a number of offers for the space, but none of them have satisfied the owner of the building.
Mayor Eugene Murray said he has heard that the Malverne Cinemas might use the space to show independent and foreign films. The only problem he sees with that scenario is the fact that Rockville Centre currently bans the showing of movies during the day on weekdays to avoid parking congestion.
Shenker, who has also heard that Malverne Cinemas is considering the space, said that it would be a welcome addition to the village. "Indie and foreign films would go well there," he said. "[It's] a nice way to fill up that section of the village. "
No one at the Malverne Cinemas was available for comment.
But why have so many storefronts remained vacant for so long? Malcolm William of William's Properties said that part of the reason landlords haven't found tenants quickly is because rents are so high - in some cases well above market prices. The average rent downtown is $26 per square foot, according to William. He said that the landlords of the former European Living are asking around $34 per square foot. The landlords of the former Porch and Patio are asking about $26, but want a tenant who will rent the entire space rather than subdividing it.
"[The spaces] should be filled," William said. "There should be businesses in there, but the people we've been showing those spots [say landlords are asking too much money]."
He added, "If a store doesn't rent in a year or two years, and it's in a lucrative area, the only one reason it's not renting is because it's overpriced."
Ostrick, who believes there is an inordinate amount of available space in Rockville Centre, said landlords need to make a profit, but because taxes in the village are so high, they have to raise rents.
In the July 13-19 Herald article "Pondering next step for Signature Place," Michael Faltischek, the attorney for the proposed Signature Place development, suggested that the anti-development stance of the Board of Trustees, which has been fighting the Chase Partners development for three years, will turn the village into a "ghost town."
Trustee Jeanne Farnan Mulry calls such comments "self-serving." "I think we should look at the facts," she said, "and not give into developer scare tactics."
Murray, who said there is no reason why the compromise of a 239-unit Signature Place development should not move forward, believes it would have nothing but a positive impact on the business district. "Signature Place would definitely help all the stores in Rockville Centre," he said.
"I have talked with numerous store owners, and they believe that the lack of parking spaces for shoppers, compounded by the high risk of getting a parking ticket, are keeping shoppers away," said village Trustee Suzanne Murphy Sullivan, who opposes the Signature Place development. "The answer to keeping our downtown vibrant isn't to bring hundreds of more residents and automobiles into our already congested community. The key is to make the shopping experience a more pleasant." Mulry, who believes that the key is revamping the look of the business district, suggests taking a look at what surrounding villages have done. "The Village of Westbury has increased their store occupancy with a Business Improvement District, streetscape upgrades, and improved parking," she said. "Westbury commissioned a master plan for their village's downtown. These are all tools we can use to keep our downtown a vibrant shopper magnet."
Mulry added that Village Administrator Ron Wasson "keeps a close eye on any vacancies in the business district." However, according to Jeff Kluewer, village spokesman, a survey of such vacancies has not been conducted since 2000. The village has planned a survey for this year.
If built, Signature Place would be located close to the business district, behind the King Kullen at 80-100 Banks Ave. "The development will bring more people into the village," Shenker said. "More individuals [means] more potential for them to walk into town. For them, a walk into town is not a far walk."
Ed Oppenheimer, chairman of Rockville Centre's Parking Committee, said that there have been many conversations over the years about brining national chains to the village.
Oppenheimer said that what Rockville Centre needs is an anchor store. "People will come here to see [the anchor store, and from there they might] go to a camera store, the florist, then get lunch," he said. "[Rockville Centre] needs to become a destination, so that shoppers spend time and money here ..."
The Chamber of Commerce tries to make the larger chains aware of desirable spots when they open up, but so far none has been interested.
William said that since there are no malls in the village, a national chain could be very successful here.
Shopper parking, as well as parking congestion in general, has always been an issue in Rockville Centre. That is why the Parking Committee was recently reinstated to deal with the issue.
"Many ideas have been tossed around," said Oppenheimer. "Including the controversial suggestion of a bi-level parking garage."
Despite these issues, a number of new stores have moved into the village in the past year, including Panera Bread, Cool Beans, Artrageous and Edible Arrangements. William said that an H&R Block will be coming to the village soon, as well as a new real estate firm where Baskin Robbins used to be. He said the number of store fronts does raise some questions, but he does not think it's a problem yet. Stressing the "yet," he said, "I hope it won't become a problem."
Comments about this story? TRazzano@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 221.
