Clean Rite opens in Queens.

Clean Rite Centers has opened the third company-owned and operated store on Brooklyn's Flatbush Avenue at 1332 Flatbush Ave. This site was originally built as a car dealership and in recent years was used for a variety of retail uses before a deal was made with Clean Rite. In order to create a store close to Clean Rite Centers' prototype of 5,500 square feet with ample parking, it was necessary to demolish half the building and turn that space into a parking lot.

According to John Sabino, president of Clean Rite Centers, "The magnitude of our alteration typifies why landlords prefer Clean Rite as a tenant. They see the extent of our construction commitment and realize that we are making significant capital improvements to their property. In this case, even though the building itself is half the size it was originally, the value we have created with a new storefront, HVAC, ADA-compliant bathroom etc., the space is now worth considerably more than twice its value before our work."

Further expansion throughout the five boroughs of NYC and lower Westchester is planned. "Our current goal is to add new stores at the rate of two per month for the next year. We have added thirty new stores in the past two years and are now ready to accelerate the growth pattern," said Timothy King, director of Real Estate for Clean Rite.

Recognizing that the NYC marketplace does not offer many properties that are freestanding with parking, the company has been very creative in its real estate and construction practices. Clean Rite Centers has resorted to taking old garages and gas stations that have adequate plot sizes and smaller buildings and have expanded the properties up to 5,000 square feet.