First tenant signed at LI's new-look business center.

Lifetime Brands, Inc., a leading designer, developer and marketer of a broad range of nationally branded consumer products used in the home and one of Long Island's Top 100 companies, has signed a 15-year lease for 114, 474 s/f of space in the Business and Research Center at Garden City, making it the first and largest tenant in the distinctive mixed-used redevelopment that formerly served as a Bristol Myers-Squibb Pharma complex.

The lease signing was announced by Joseph A. Farkas, president of Metropolitan Realty Associates and owner of the building. Westbury-based Lifetime will use the space for its executive offices, research and development, warehouse and showrooms. Lifetime will be prominently featured on the building's facade. Occupancy is projected for December 2006

The property is owned by Garden City, NY-based Metropolitan and its equity partner, Angelo, Gordon & Co. "It has been my vision to take this unique industrial facility and, through adaptive re-use, turn it into a modern multi-use building," Farkas said.

"Lifetime Brands' decision to lease significant space in the building confirms our initial belief to create this unique concept in Nassau County."

The Lifetime transaction accounts for most of the available space at the center. The property contains two buildings totaling 186,500 s/f on 7.55 acres. The former research building at 500 Endo Blvd. includes 25,000 s/f and is being converted to professional/ medical office space.

Douglas Omstrom and Thomas DiMicelli of Corporate National Realty LLC, Woodbury, NY, are the exclusive leasing agents for the buildings. Lifetime was represented by Richard Karson, Martin Lomazow and Phil Heilpern of CB Richard Ellis.