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A Few Clouds Making over the Peninsula Shopping Center in Hewlett
Renovations include upgraded storefronts and an increase in parking stalls
“This has been my neighborhood shopping center my entire life,” said Steven Kaufman, a principal of Woodmere-based Basser Kaufman, real estate investor and developers and owners of the Peninsula Shopping Center in Hewlett.
One of the principals of the company, along with Myron Kaufman and Marc Kemp, Kaufman said that Basser Kaufman purchased the property two years ago. Construction on the Peninsula Shopping Center began in about March and is expected to finish by the end of November.
Kaufman, a Hewlett Bay Park resident who is the village’s mayor, said that they approached the project with the mentality of “What can we do to make this better?” and “improve the customer experience.” The shopping center, which was built in 1959, at the intersection of Mill Road and Peninsula Boulevard is a populated and accessible location, he added.
“When they finally get it finished, it’s going to look really nice and business should pick up,” said Phil, a salesman at the Ace Hardware in the shopping center, who declined to provide his last name. He added that since the main sign was removed during construction, business has slowed down. The temporary sign that was put up last week has now increased customer traffic, he said.
Most renovation projects require a significant amount of effort, money and coordination, and the reconstruction at the Peninsula Shopping Center is no different. After overcoming logistical obstacles, Kaufman said that his company spent about $2 million on the façade upgrade.
Shea McClosky, an employee at Marinara Pizzeria and Restaurant in the center, said: “I don’t think that the business suffered at all from it,” of the construction to improve the shopping area.
A new roof was put atop the building that houses several businesses, and developers aim to create an employee parking lot in the formerly unused grass area in the back on the Mill Road side to free up more spaces for customers in the main lot. The employee lot will allow for an additional 85 cars in the main lot. Other potential upgrades include repaving and improving lighting conditions in the parking lot.
“The best shopping centers are the ones where you have tenants that not only do business, but also work well with the other tenants in the shopping center,” Kaufman said. Throughout the first two, out of four phases, of construction, customers and merchants alike have been relatively patient, he noted, as the company strives to minimize disruptions to the center.
