Biz Beat: Schuckman Realty Works to Fill Former Hollywood Video

Many Lindenhurst businesses have closed in recent years, thanks to a tough economy.

However, there seems to bright spots in the form of  opening up and willing to call Lindy their .

Most recently  opened up at 168 Montauk Highway. It's owned by  alum Alicia Allard.

Meanwhile , a frozen yogurt shop, is on its way to 646B North Wellwood Avenue in the Sunrise Plaza in North Lindy. Construction is being done inside the storefront on North Wellwood Avenue, according to life-long Lindy resident Debbie Kirby.

Her and her husband, Steve, own the Lindenhurst location of the international chain, and it'll be run by the two of them and their family with the help of a few friends. They hope to be open in October.

(Look for profiles of both businesses on Lindenhurst Patch soon.)

Filling Hollywood Video
And now it looks like the , which has stood  around the corner on East Sunrise Highway, is close to being filled.

According to Ed Gottlieb of the property's real estate representative, Schuckman Realty, Incorporated, the empty space was the right size for a new restaurant, but it didn't have the right amount of parking for an eatery of that size.

"We had many big chain restaurants look at the space, but the didn't approve any of them because we were told we'd need a variance for parking," Gottlieb told Lindenhurst Patch this week.

"We didn't have even half the parking we would've needed for a restaurant that would fill 8,500 square feet," he continued.

So the solution was for Schuckman to divide the space into smaller 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot spaces to rent.

"We had to go smaller," Gottlieb said. "The Town really worked with us."

The strategy worked, and he said now there's a restaurant that'll be opening in a smaller portion of that space. The deal is still being inked, so he wasn't able to name the restaurant - yet.

"The lease should be signed within 30 days," Gottlieb said, adding the construction wouldn't be complete until next Spring.

He said his firm loves the idea of the restaurant coming to the space and to Lindenhurst.

"The community can stay local, and it provides local jobs," he said.

Filling Other Lindy Storefronts
A little more than a year ago the owner of those properties with the brick façade in Sunrise Plaza hired the realty firm.

“Those properties include and - but not  or the ones in the  section, or where and are or was," Gottlieb explained.

In that time he said Schuckman has filled many of the brick storefronts.

Talking about the stores in the section facing North Wellwood, Gottlieb said, " and H and J Medical moved from West Babylon. Premier Medical moved in there. Sunrise Stationery moved down the row to another space. A foot spa that does reflexology moved in. And we helped to secure Menchie's in a double storefront."

The UPS Store also moved to a larger space in that row of stores.

In the row of stores next to Hollywood Video, Gottlieb said  moved across Sunrise Highway into a double storefront.

Schuckman also continues to work to fill the space the old Sleepy's occupied, as well as a smaller, 1,200-square-foot empty storefront “between the dry cleaner and ," Gottlieb said.

"We work very hard to find the right tenant mix, for a synergy between tenants. We want people to walk from store to store, not just go to one and leave," he added.