Amityville hospital site nears demolition

With demolition slated to begin this spring at Amityville's Brunswick Hospital Center site, the property's owners are looking for tenants to occupy what could be 75,000 square feet of commercial space.

Steve Gillman, executive vice president of Northwest Atlantic Real Estate Services, representing owner BH Realty, said use of the property could range from retail to industrial and that several businesses have expressed interest.

Waiting eagerly is the village of Amityville. The parcel is a major source of property tax income for the village -- BH Realty's $359,000 bill last year made it the village's largest taxpayer -- and demolition of some or all of its buildings would reduce its tax bill until new development takes place. Village officials also describe the property as an eyesore.

The 13-acre Broadway property, mostly vacant since the hospital began closing operations in the mid-2000s, was the subject of competing ownership claims and litigation for much of the last decade. A court case is pending between developer Ted Doukas and Douglas Stein, son of past hospital owner Benjamin Stein, but all sides have signed off on the demolition.

"Whatever tenants we are talking to will need to be made comfortable that there are no issues affecting them before anybody signs a lease," Gillman said.

Demolition will make the property easier to market, he said. "People look at it now and get scared because they see this old decrepit building."

The property's location near Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway and Route 110 make it attractive to a variety of potential tenants, he said. Municipal approvals and construction mean move-in day could be two years away, he said.