By Mike Russo
The town's plan to bring over a half-dozen chain retailers to the area to replace a strip of mostly vacant stores between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway was scrapped recently due to the town's selected developer withdrawing due to the downturn in the economy. Since then, town officials have been negotiating with a second interested developer, the Blumenfeld Group, whose chief interested retailer is reported to be Kohl's.
Santino said that it is too early in the process to make an official announcement regarding Kohl's, but told residents at the meeting that the retailer was very interested in opening a store at the Grand Avenue location.
If the Kohl's proposal is accepted by the town, the store would take up the entire strip on Grand Avenue starting next to the Baldwin Fire Department Headquarters and down to Merrick Road, and then west on Merrick to the beginning of the parking lot. "It's not a signed, sealed and delivered deal, but they are very, very interested," said Santino. "I'm hoping that in the short term, [Supervisor] Kate Murray and I will be able to make an announcement that Kohl's is coming to Baldwin."
There are both advantages and disadvantages to having one big box store, Santino said. From a regulating standpoint, it's a lot easier to deal with one store than to have several try to co-exist on the same block, he said, but the fact that Kohl's is a successful company with a reputation for keeping its stores clean, the retailer would likely work out well in the community. Santino said the most important thing is ensuring that the area doesn't remain as it is for much longer.
"I am very, very hopeful that this second time with the second developer will work out," said Santino. "It will be a very good fit for Baldwin and it will be something which will fulfill what the town has been trying to do for the last four-and-a-half-years which is to bring something to that property which will get rid of the blight, and get a store that will not only give the people in Baldwin a place to do a wide range of shopping, but will bring other shoppers to Baldwin so that once they're done shopping in Kohl's - if that's the way it turns out - they'll go to other stores up and down Grand Avenue."
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
