Photo: QueensPost
Aug. 21, 2014 By Christian Murray
Long-time Sunnyside dentist Dr. Arthur Kubikian will be closing his practice later this year—following his inability to renew his lease.
Kubikian, who has maintained an office at 43-34 43rd Street for nearly 15 years, is a tenant in the former Dime Bank building that was sold at the end of 2012 for $6.675 million. The building, which used to contain a Dime branch, is currently occupied by Center Cinemas, Kubikian and PJ Horgan’s.
Kubikian, who runs the practice with his wife Dr. Louiza Puskulian-Kubikian, is required to vacate the space by November 1.
“I thought we had the right to renew the lease for another five years but when their lawyers looked through the documents they showed us that we couldn’t,” Kubikian said. “We were surprised.”
Kubikian was not offered a new lease.
Kubikian, who has had a practice in Sunnyside since 1977 (with his first office on Queens Boulevard), said that he will be relocating to New Hyde Park and is hoping that many of his patients will stick with him. He said that he will be closing his Sunnyside office in the middle of October and is getting the word out now about his departure.
Meanwhile, Center Cinemas’ lease comes to an end December 31 and Rudy Prichard, the owner of the movie theater, has yet to hear whether his lease will be renewed. He is not hopeful.
As for PJ Horgan’s, its lease ends June 2018. The owner of the bar could not be reached for comment.
The former bank building, on paper, is owned by 45-25 Queens Boulevard Realty Corp.
However, according to several sources, Gina Argento, the president of Broadway Stages, the Brooklyn-based TV and movie production company, is the owner.
Argento could not be reached for comment.
