Island Eye Surgicenter, a state-of-the-art center that offers surgical care and treatment of eye disorders, is moving out of Carle Place. But the eye center isn’t moving far, relocating from its current location at 255 Glen Cove Road to around the corner at 1500 Jericho Tpke. in Westbury.
The center is moving onto the site of the former Diletto’s restaurant, a space that has seen numerous restaurants come in and leave over the years. Robert Nelson, executive director of Island Eye Surgicenter, said over the years he has seen the property change hands numerous times.
“I knew the value of that piece of property and watched one restaurant after another fail there,” said the Williston Park resident. “We eventually reached out to the property owner and were interested in doing a deal. It wasn’t until the most recent restaurant operator failed that our deal came together.”
Island Eye Surgicenter has been in its current location since 1999, and since then has seen exponential growth, said Nelson. For the last four years, the company’s been looking for a new facility that would allow them to accommodate their growing client base. The area’s proximately to major parkways and centrality, as well as its high visibility on Jericho Turnpike, made staying close to Carle Place an ideal option.
Nelson said that the new site is in a perfect location, and its position at the entrance to the Village of Westbury had a huge influence on the design of the new building.
“I felt a real sense of responsibility to the community of Westbury,” Nelson said. “We wanted to design a building that was spectacular not only for our purposes, but that represents the community and fit in well.”
The new building will be 27,000 square feet, situated on three and a half acres. There will be six operating rooms, 15 patient areas, a 12-person recovery room, 85-person waiting room, administrative office, staff lounge and patio.
Their current location has only three operating rooms and sits on half an acre. Island Eye Surgicenter currently employs 68 employees, and Nelson said they are anticipating adding 20 more positions in the next three to five years.
The old Diletto’s restaurant has already been demolished and site work has been underway for the last several months. On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Island Eye leadership and staff, as well as local officials, business leaders and community members will break ground on the site. The building is expected to be completed in July, which will then be followed by review from the New York State Department of Health and federal Medicare. Nelson said he expects business to begin in the new building by the fall.
