For Advanced Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket retailer, Pliskin Realty & Development, Inc. is the preferred developer for its new stores on Long Island. Despite the economic downturn, Advanced Auto Parts posted strong earnings last quarter and has been adding stores. When the company sought another Long Island location, Advanced Auto Parts' real estate representative George Benavides contacted Pliskin, who delivered a high visibility, demographically-strong site on Middle Country Rd. in Centereach. There, Pliskin is building an 11,000 s/f strip shopping center in which Advanced Auto Parts has pre-leased 6,200 s/f for 15 years plus two five-year options. The remaining 4,900 s/f will be sub-divided and leased by Pliskin executive vice president Marvin Hartman. PRD Centereach, LLC, is the property owner. The project architect is the award-winning Paul Pellicani, R.A., A.I.A., founder of Architect's Loft in Glen Cove, N.Y. The general contractor is Lorich Construction Management LLC, based in Deer Park, N.Y. The civil engineer was Trey Wehrum of Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor of Westbury, N.Y. The zoning transaction attorneys for the project were Larry Feldman and David Curry of Farrell Fritz based in Uniondale, N.Y. According to Jeffrey Pliskin, president of Pliskin Realty & Development, who is overseeing the project, "One of our major challenges in obtaining approvals to build was coordinating with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) and town of Brookhaven. The property is adjacent to a New York state right of way along Middle Country Rd. with access to the road from the property over the right of way. The town required extensive landscaping on the DOT property in order to integrate it aesthetically with the project." Having been the Advanced Auto Parts' developer for Long Island in the past, Pliskin has worked successfully with the company and is familiar with its construction requirements and procedures. Recently, Pliskin completed an Advanced Auto Parts freestanding building in Lindenhurst, which is Advance's sixth store on Long Island. Essential to the project's success was working closely and cooperatively with the Centereach Civic Association. In doing so, Pliskin, Advance and Architect's Loft designed a brick and stucco façade for the building that the Civic Association and the town felt architecturally complemented the other buildings along Middle Country Rd. Once the design was deemed acceptable, the project advanced to the planning board hearing stage. Pliskin obtained variances for the size of the shopping center's proposed pylon sign and the number of parking spaces, though the parking ratio is still in excess of five spaces per 1,000 s/f of building. With building approvals secured, construction is now underway. The projected completion date for the shopping center is mid-October 2009. In addition to Advanced Auto Parts, Pliskin is currently in dialogue with other prospective tenants who value the center's prime location, superior construction, and architectural appeal. For Pliskin, who has successfully developed projects for the Municipal Credit Union, Ethan Allen, La-Z-Boy and Corning Revere among others, its strong relationship with Advanced Auto Parts has allowed it to continue to develop properties in the current market. The firm would not have chosen to develop this project without pre-leasing a substantial portion of it. Pliskin and Advance are hoping to be able to take advantage of the declining prices of real estate in order to do more projects on Long Island. They are actively searching a number of markets that they have identified as prime for an Advance Auto Parts store.