New Building, No Tenant [Empty in Jamesport]

Ben Brinkmann's family has owned a string of paint stores on Long Island since the late 1970s - including Jamesport's Van Kemenade Paints - and built a new structure on the corner of Manor Lane and Route 25 about a year and a half ago to give their Jamesport location a newer presence.

The knockdown/build-up worked for the paint store, Brinkmann said, as the cleaner look makes it more easily approachable for do-it-yourself'ers looking to get a couple cans of paint for their interiors.

An apartment above the lower floor even went easily, giving the landlords more than a handful of potential tenants to sift through to find their pick.

But next to the paint store and underneath the apartment, an additional, 2,400-square-foot unit has remained vacant since the building went up.

"It's an ideal location. It's a great spot," Brinkmann said. "We just haven't been able to make the numbers make sense."

He said that depending on the intensity of the use - between water usage, parking lot spaces, and other variables - they are looking for between $4,000 and $5,000 a month in rent, coming out to about $20 to $24 per square foot.

Brinkmann faulted a slow economy in part for the family's inability to find the right tenant for the space, located across the street from the Jamesport Meeting House and next to Junda's.

Looking back, he added, one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome is the size of the space.

"Everybody wants smaller space," he said. "The biggest problem in hindsight is that we didn't put in two 1,200-square-foot spaces."

Brinkmann said in time it may come down to that, but he's still waiting. Between the planning, permitting, and construction process, he may be looking at 18 months from start to finish to make the change - plus the financial investment.

The parcel is zoned hamlet center, meaning retail, professional offices, art galleries, specialty food stores, cafes, and several other uses are permitted. A convenience store would be outlawed, as would another residential unit.

What do you think would make a good fit at the corner of Manor Lane and Route 25? Do you think it would be worth the investment for the owner to split the larger, vacant unit?