Woodmere Corner Store Most Glaring Among Vacancies

One of the biggest vacant commercial properties in Woodmere, on the corner of Broadway and Franklin Avenue, has remained dormant for more than five years.

There has been some limited interest in the property, located at 1052 Broadway, according to Randy Green, a real estate broker at . However, there doesn’t appear to be any serious buyers or renters that are showing interest at this time.

“Pugatch had a few people interested, but unfortunately, it hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Dr. John Santopolo, who has a practice on Franklin Place and is president of the Woodmere Merchants Association.

The store, which is roughly 5,500 square feet, has a selling price of $980,000, and a rental price of $25 per square foot, Green stated. Also, the owner is willing to divide the store.

“Some positive features of that store is that it’s near a traffic light, and it’s on Broadway, which is the prime business thoroughfare for Woodmere," he said. "Also, it’s a corner wrap-around property.”

The store was formerly Baker’s Variety, which was in business for more than 40 years, according to Green.

Although there are many empty stores in Woodmere, this particular location is troubling to Vassa Couture, vice-president of the Woodmere Merchants Association and owner of Wedding Dresser Couture by Vassa, located across the street from the vacant store.

“It’s on a corner, and when you come down Broadway from Hewlett, it’s one of the first things you see,” she said. “It’s such a big location that it makes a big impact. It’s a shame, because it has so much potential."

This is just in Woodmere that have remained vacant for an extended amount of time, which can be attributed to several factors, according to Santopolo.

“I think one thing keeping renters and buyers away are the high taxes we all pay,” he said. “Also, the rent has run away.”

Green agreed, stating “The rents are too high for Woodmere.”

Both Santopolo and Green said that parking and revitalization are also issues that effect Woodmere’s business district.

“I don’t think meters are a good idea, but without them, some people will park at a spot all day long, and there’s no turnover,” Santopolo said.

The Woodmere Merchants Association has done what they can to revamp the area with its limited budget. However, bigger projects would require outside funding.

“Since we are not an incorporated village, we’re kind of dependent on the Town of Hempstead, the state and Nassau County,” Santopolo said. “But this is not a good time to ask the government for money."

In regards to what kind of stores Couture would like to see move into the area, she said, “It’s not just one kind of store that is needed to fill these vacancies. We need a multitude of things here.”

Five Towns Patch will regularly spotlight vacant commercial properties in an effort to initiate a discussion within the community about alternative uses for these abandoned places. If you'd like to know more about a specific property, please comment below.