Town and LIRR Reach Deal on Vacant Properties

Vacant storefronts have been underneath the Lynbrook LIRR station for nearly 14 years, but a deal made earlier this month may change that.

Lynbrook Village Mayor William Hendrick recently announced that the town has found a developer willing to enter into a lease for the properties, after the LIRR approved the developer's proposal.

"After all this time, we were able to find the right developer who would help revitalize our village, become part of our Lynbrook family, and bring us into the 21st century," Henrick said.

The vacant properties used to be Pharmacy and , but both relocated to different addresses on Atlantic Avenue years ago, Hendrick said. 

The rail road originally wanted the lease go to five to eight years, but Hendrick said it wasn't enough time for them to recoup their investment -- so they agreed to stretch out the lease to 20 years.

The deal allows the developer, Lynbrook Properties Management, to rehabilitate the stores and permits free rent from the LIRR for the years it takes to recoup the initial investment of the rehabilitation.

Although Hendrick said that while finding a tenant won't likely be a problem, bringing the building up to speed might.

"They need to clean it up, put new walls in and rehab the whole building, but with bad winter weather, that could be delayed," Hendrick said.

Hendrick said the fact the buildings are directly underneath the railroad could cause additional problems. Still, he said it's exciting to think of what the finished product could look like, and what the new businesses would mean to the community.

Best case, he said the rehabilitation will take six to eight months, and added that the management company is thinking of turning the space into an "upscale restaurant."

Stephen Wangel, Vice President of Membership for the Lynbrook Chamber, said he is eager to see them get to work after all these years. 

"The village government and our elected officials have been banging their heads up against a brick wall for the better part of 14 years," Wangel said. "They have never lost sight of the bullseye. Now that a developer has inked a deal with the MTA, this is the time that the work really begins."