Woodmere Professional Space Vacant for 2 Years

A newly renovated building on Irving Place in Woodmere has remained vacant for about two years, but its owner is hopeful it will be rented to a professional soon.

“It’s my second year without a tenant and it’s painful,” said Dr. Barry Rozenberg, who also owns a dentistry practice next to the vacant building at 4 Irving Pl. “What I’m hoping to do is rent it to a lawyer, professional, dentist, etc., because there are plenty of spaces for retail. For my space, I just need to get the word out.”

Woodmere has many , with Rozenberg’s building one of the few professional spaces available among many empty retail storefronts. Next door to 4 Irving Pl. is the former store, which is also vacant.

However, Rozenberg said, the perception of Woodmere is worse than reality.

“When I look around Woodmere, the amount of vacancies in retail space, there are so many for rent signs on one property that it makes it looks worse than it is,” he said. “Strikeouts are contagious.” He added that there many successful businesses in the area.

The 1,300 square foot office is currently listed for rent at $3,200 a month, with a rent concession during the period the new tenant is constructing their office space, according to Steve Anchin, the listing’s agent at and president of the . The building is near two municipal parking lots and is only two blocks from the Hewlett Long Island Railroad Station.

“It has high visibility on the central intersection in the Woodmere business district, corner of Broadway and Irving Place,” he said. “With great curb appeal, the welcoming upscale entrance has classic columns and palladium door and windows.”

Before the new building was constructed, Rozenberg said, three stores occupied the space — a small dress shop, a plumbing supply store and a nail salon. The doctor bought the building, gutted it and rebuilt it after he left his old office at Mill Road and Sunrise Highway in Valley Stream.

“This is a nice area and a better community,” the more-than-20-year resident of the Five Towns said. “My new practice draws from people around this area.”

Rozenberg said another perk of the space is that it’s close to other doctors.

“For any medical specialty, it’s a homerun,” he said. “Anyone that would want a nice looking building, I think it’s a homerun.”

Sherry Press, co-owner of and first vice president of the Hewlett-Woodmere Business Association, said any professional that moves in is guaranteed support from the community. She added that the new professional would also bring their clients in to the area.

“They work hand and hand — the professional and retail store work together,” she said. “One brings in customers for the other.”

For more information, call Steve Anchin at Jan Kalman Realty (516-330-7799 or email StephenA@JanKalman.com.)