PM Pediatrics to move into former Palace of Wong location

The village is about to get a major facelift. PM Pediatrics — an urgent care pediatric medical facility — will be moving into the Sunrise Highway location currently occupied by the former Palace of Wong and its empty neighboring shops.

After official approval from the village board of trustees on March 6, the roughly 4,500 square foot clinic will provide its own parking lot, which could help to alleviate ongoing parking concerns in the village downtown area.

“Welcome to the village,” said Trustee Michael Sepe, noting that this type of facility would be a great addition to the neighborhood. Village Administrator Kathleen Murray commented after the board’s approval, saying that the parking would be a big plus and replacing the venerable but defunct Palace of Wong — which has sat empty for nearly 17 months — is “kind of a big deal.”

PM Pediatrics is a chain of urgent care medical practices that specializes in treatment for infants, children and young adults. Former college roommates Jeffrey Schor and Steven Katz founded the business in 2005 after becoming disillusioned with the traditional pediatric healthcare system, according to the company’s website.

David Biehl, executive vice president and general counsel of PM Pediatrics said he had been looking for a spot in Rockville Centre for about five years when the opportunity to build on the corner Morris Avenue and Sunrise Highway presented itself. He said he especially liked the location’s potential for parking. “It was perfect.”

Looking to add to the company’s current 19 locations across the North Eastern U.S., Biehl felt that Rockville Centre would be a good fit for a new PM Pediatrics, as it would fulfill a need for urgent pediatric care and there was little overlap with coverage from the company’s other clinics.

At the March 6 village board meeting, Biehl’s attorney Peter Rubin said he and his client had obtained demolition permits and were prepared “to move with all due haste” on construction once they had obtained approval from the board.

Correction: A previous version of this article described PM Pediatrics as both an urgent and emergency care facility. PM Pediatrics only specializes in urgent care.