An owner of the property occupied by the former Empire Billiards said he is intent on finding a long-term tenant for the space that will be well accepted by the village and residents.
“We’re looking to rent it out to someone who’s wiling to work with the village and within the village code guidelines,” said Dr. Mark Sommer, a Dix Hills dentist who owns the property with two partners.
Sommer said he is aware of the problems Empire Billiards caused its neighbors and the village board over the past several years and wants to avoid any repetition with a new tenant.
“We’re looking to be good neighbors. We’re not looking to cause any problems,” Sommer said.
Sommer said he has received several inquiries since a phone number was posted on the building at 1215 Jericho Turnpike two weeks ago advertising the availability of the 3,800- foot-square space for rent.
Among them, he said, was a national retailer.
Sommer, who along with his partners owns all the property on the block east of the space Empire occupied to North 12th Street, said he wants to sign the next tenant to a lease of at least 10 years
He said he is meeting with village trustees on Tuesday this week to discuss his plans.
“They weren’t happy with the old tenant. There were a lot of issues,” Sommer said.
Empire Billiards shut its doors on June 30, ending a stormy relationship with neighbors and village trustees.
A former pool hall that was operating as a bar, Empire Billiards has been the source of repeated complaints from residents about excessive noise and illegal activities outside the bar including drug use and public lewdness. On May 9, two people were stabbed outside the bar.
The New Hyde Park Village Board declined to renew Empire’s gaming permit for pool playing last year in response to residents’ repeated complaints. After the board’s decision, Empire received summonses from the village for violating the prohibition for playing pool there.
Empire Billiards partner and manager Harinder Singh appeared before the New Hyde Park Village Court on June 19 to answer two village summons.
Singh pleaded guilty to operating a billiard hall without a permit and violating the required height for window shades under the town code and was fined $500 by acting Village Judge Robert Morici, who warned Singh against any further offenses.
Village board members had also met with Inspector Sean McCarthy, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police 3rd Precinct, on May 28 to discuss strategies to address problems with Empire.
Police officers from the 3rd Precinct cited the bar on June 15 for excessive noise, an offense that would have required Empire owners to appear before the state Liquor Authority. Village officials said the bar’s liquor license was set to expire on June 30.
Sommer said the lack of available parking space is an impediment to finding a new tenant for the building.
“The problem is the parking. When you tell people there’s a municipal lot two blocks down they don’t want to hear it,” he said.
