WKE and Sterling Equities to bring office building to 21st Century

Wachtler Knopf Equities and Sterling Equities are working together to bring a Bethpage office building constructed 45 years ago into the 21st Century. "We are taking a 1960s-era building with a great location and are turning it into a modern, functional property," said Philip Wachtler, principal of Farmingdale-based WKE, managing and leasing agent for the Sterling Corporate Center, at 999 Stewart Ave. The 200,000 s/f building is owned by Great Neck, N.Y.-based Sterling Equities and is the first of the real estate firm's holdings on Long Island to be branded. Significant exterior and interior renovations to improve the overall image and appearance the property already are underway. A new cafe has been added and modern facilities have replaced restrooms that date back to 1964 in a portion of the building. A new lobby, renovated public spaces and new landscaping are in the offing. More than a hundred commercial real estate brokers toured the building at a June 11 open house and meet former New York Mets star outfielder Darryl Strawberry. Sterling and WKE and Sterling also gave away as door prizes three pair of tickets to Mets-Yankees Subway Series games to be played at Citified later in June and 10 additional ticket pairs to other games. Sterling Corporate Center, which originally housed Grumman Corp. offices and later served as the headquarters of Robert Plan Corp., has some of the largest floorplates currently available on Long Island, 50,000 s/f and 100,000 s/f. Flexible floor plans from 25,000 s/f to 100,000 s/f are available. The building also has high ceilings. "The building's high ceilings and open floor layout provide a blank canvas to tailor construction to the specific requirements of any type of user," said Sandy Cohen, WKE director of management. "On site maintenance and concierge service allow us, as a management company, the ability to offer the highest high level of service to our tenants," Cohen added. Rents, which are negotiable, are competitive. "We are offering class A quality office space at asking rents well below those at class A buildings," Wachtler said. Located in heart of Long Island, Sterling Corporate Center is just minutes from the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway (New York State Route 135) and offers quick access to the Long Island Expressway and the South Shore of Long Island. The property has abundant parking with 946 spaces - a ratio of 6 spaces per 1,000 s/f. The building also is accessible by mass transit and is close to both the Bethpage and Hicksville stations of the Long Island Rail Road and is served by the N81 bus line operated by MTA Long Island Bus. Located in one of Long Island's top corporate communities, the Sterling Corporate Center has among its neighbors Northrop Grumman Corp., Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Briarcliff College, Cablevision Systems Corp, King Kullen Grocery Corp. and Sleepy's. The building's major tenant is the Northeast Alliance Insurance Agency LLC, the U.S. unit of Kingsway Financial Services, one of Canada's largest automobile insurers. A second building at the site, a 47,000 s/f warehouse, is being offered for sale or lease.