A vacant kids’ clothing store, located in a high-traffic area of Cedarhurst, has lots of potential to pull in customers throughout the day, according to the realtor of the property and several neighboring business owners.
“It’s a great block to have a business,” said Chaya Moller of Weisman Realty. “It’s steps away from , which is good. You get lots of foot traffic over there, without paying Central Avenue prices. And the parking is even better than on Central.”
There is a constant flow of pedestrians and cars throughout the day, according to owner Gary Bader, who has been doing business next door to the vacancy for about 25 years.
Closed less than a year ago, carried primarily children’s clothes and accessories. In the interim, the place has been sheet rocked, painted and carpeted, Moller said. The monthly rent is $2,000 for the 1,000 square-foot store, located at 127 Spruce St.
Moller said that one reason local stores are vacant for longer periods is because landlords are becoming more particular about new tenants.
“Landlords are starting to keep their stores empty until they find the right tenant,” she said.” I think it’s a good idea. They’re better off waiting for the right person and the right business.”
In recent years, several landlords on Spruce have rented storefronts to lawyers, who tend to be more dependable than owners of retail stores. But Bader said he would like his new neighbor to open a store that would complement his own, which is a boys and men’s wear shop.
“I would like to see a children’s shoe store or a girls clothing store," he said. "I would be thrilled.”
According to a nearby storeowner, who asked to remain anonymous, the high turnover of businesses in Cedarhurst is partly due to overly stringent regulations imposed by the village board. He claims that even minor renovations come under strict scrutiny and are rarely approved, making it difficult for owners to improve their business. He said that even putting the store’s phone number on an awning or sign is not permissible, which could impede new business.
However, Bader claims that the board is justified in holding business owners to a high standard for the good of the community.
“They [the board] don’t want this town to look like Flushing with all different signs,” he said. “If you let every storeowner pick out their own signs, it would look lousy. We have a beautiful little village.”
