Wachtler Knopf Equities leases 50,000 s/f at Sterling Corporate Ctr.

The U.S. unit of one of Canada's largest automobile insurers has leased 50,000 s/f of office space for a regional office, in a deal negotiated by Wachtler Knopf Equities (WKE) LLC. Elk Grove Village, Ill-based Kingsway America, an assigned-risk insurer that is a unit of Mississauga, Ontario-based Kingsway Financial Services, Inc., leased space at Sterling Corporate Center, located at 999 Stewart Ave. The 250,000 s/f, two-building complex, formerly the Robert Plan Building, has been owned by Great Neck-based Sterling Equities since 2006 and professionally managed and leased by WKE. "We are pleased to kick off our representation of this property with such a substantial lease with a major tenant," said Philip Wachtler, principal of WKE. "This lease is indicative of our optimism for this property, which we plan on updating through significant capital improvements." Robert Rosenbluth of Real Estate Strategies Ltd., Jericho, N.Y., represented Kingsway in lease negotiations. Wachtler represented the building's owner.