We were happy to hear that a new tenant is coming into the site of the former Saks Fifth Avenue on Franklin Avenue. Winthrop University Hospital, in conjunction with a Connecticut firm that specializes in fitness centers have signed a fifteen-year lease on the property, and plan to create a combination of services for wellness.

While some would probably prefer that Franklin Avenue return to the shopping Mecca it was decades ago, that's not where the market is heading. Like it or not, department stores generally have been leaving downtown areas, and with the rise of internet shopping that trend is likely to continue. Given the choice between empty, decaying buildings, and other attractive commercial uses, we prefer to see the buildings filled and well maintained.

With the influx of major financial institutions, Franklin Avenue has changed from the "Fifth Avenue of Long Island" to the "Wall Street of Long Island". The financial sector, together with the health sector is now filling the void. Ten years ago there were dire predictions about the future of Franklin Avenue. Fortunately, it seems that the prediction of the death of the downtown area were premature.

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Meg Morgan Norris

Publisher