Building makeover on Carman Avenue

Cedarhurst’s already low vacancy rate is now even lower.

The empty, blighted building at 91 Carman Ave. that once housed an illegal gambling operation has been renovated into an attractive one-story office building.

Cedarhurst-based real estate developer Matt Probkevitz, who owns EquiShares Inc., purchased the 3,500-square-foot building for $257,000 from private lender J.A. Funding nearly a year ago. Probkevitz obtained a change of zone for the property, which had been owned by Forgottson Central Auto, a vehicle repair shop, and subsequently became an illegal casino. With the help of Cedarhurst-based designer Rachel Septimus, he converted the building into nine offices.

“We turned a dilapidated mechanic shop, which no one knew [had later become] an illegal casino, into a class A office building,” Probkevitz said. “The property was on the market for a while, and we saw the potential in it.”

The mechanic shop closed several years ago and the property was bought by Isaac Hershko in 2009, according to Village of Cedarhurst records. As part of a bankruptcy proceeding against Hershko, in which lenders were foreclosing on several of his properties, it was confirmed that illegal gambling had been taking place in the building.

“It was set up for a gambling casino,” Village Attorney Jerome J. Levenberg said. “It had card tables and a flat-screen television.” Probkevitz said there was a refrigeration unit where beverages were kept. The police eventually shut down the operation, and the building and property went into foreclosure in 2010.

Septimus helped with the building’s structural layout, selecting the tile color and the lighting. “The basic concept was to get a professional, sleek look and at the same time a warm look without making it feel cold,” she said.

Probkevitz said that chandelier lighting creates a homier feel than the typical fluorescents found in most office buildings. “We wanted to create a high-end office building,” he said.

The offices, which have soundproofed walls, range in size from 250 to 800 square feet, and have a minimum of two skylights each, have been available within the past month. Digital-security-code-locked office doors, high-speed Internet and heat and air conditioning with separate controls will be included in the rents, which start at $700 per month, Probkevitz said. Two bathrooms feature alligator-skin tiles. Probkevitz’s office has wooden beams that give it a loft-like feel, he said.

The Village of Cedarhurst constantly scrutinizes the state of its business district and has a consistently low vacancy rate — now 7.4 percent, according to Mayor Andrew Parise.

Village Trustee Ari Brown, who serves as the board’s liaison to the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District and is a local builder, complimented Probkevitz. “He did a beautiful job. There is now one less eyesore,” Brown said. “It’s really wonderful.”

Anthony Livreri, the owner of Quorum Haircutters on Central Avenue, said that the new building, Probkevitz and his tenants are welcome additions to the area. “They did a beautiful job; it’s so nice,” Livreri said. “It is a pleasure to have them as neighbors.”