Landlord Seeks New Tenant for Two-Floor Vacancy

A vacant two-story office building is up for rent in a bustling commercial area of North Lawrence, a key asset that the landlord hopes will entice prospective tenants.

Building owner Zelda Levitz said that in order to help fill the vacancy, she is trying to be flexible. Although Levitz has been looking for someone who is interested in both spaces, she said she is open to renting to two separate tenants.

“It’s great for someone in the insurance or tax business,” she said. “I also think that a drive-through bank would be great. It’s a heavily traveled area.”

The first floor is 900 square-feet and newly renovated. The second floor is even larger at 1,200 square-feet, but it needs some work.

The lease price has not yet been firmly set for the storefront, located at 259 Burnside Ave. The rent would depend on several factors such as the applicant’s line of business, background and credit.

Even though her plan is to rent the store, Levitz would consider selling the building if the price was right.

“The problem is, in this economy, everyone thinks sellers are willing to give the store away," she said. "Even though it’s been vacant a while, we’ll wait for the right situation.”

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Two insurance companies have rented the store in the past 15 years, the most recent being Bay Brokerage Insurance Company. Since it moved out, it has been a challenge for the landlord to find a new permanent tenant. In the interim, Levitz has occasionally leased the space to a couple of temporary tenants.  

Levitz has owned the building for 57 years with her husband Paul, who originally bought it as a location for his glass and metal company. When he retired in 1994, they decided to hold onto it as a rental property. They also lease out several other buildings on the block, which were purchased years ago when they wanted to expand the business.

Levitz said that she has a good relationship with all her tenants, including a karate studio that has rented a large space from her for about 30 years.

There has been quite a bit of interest in the vacancy lately, especially from people who have businesses outside of Long Island.

“I’m finding that a lot of interest is coming from people who live in the area that have businesses in Brooklyn or Manhattan,” she said. “Many of them want to relocate their business here to make it closer and more convenient to where they live.”