Farmingdale Chase building could be eatery

The company behind Tellers Chophouse in Islip is eyeing a Farmingdale property that formerly housed a Chase bank branch as the site of its next bank-themed eatery.

The details, along with the zoning change that such a project would require, will be discussed at a public hearing at the next village board meeting on Dec. 5, said Farmingdale Mayor George Starkie.

Residents at a board meeting earlier this month spoke out against a restaurant at the Conklin Street site, raising concerns about increased late-night traffic, noise and rodents in the area.

The Islip-based Bohlsen Restaurant Group has expressed preliminary interest in the 9,000-square-foot building, owned by Chase and now vacant, Starkie said.

“They came in and said, ‘There’s an empty bank building. That’s our signature,’” Starkie said.

The process of allowing an eatery there would require amending the permitted uses of the current office-residence zoning of not just the property but the surrounding area, Starkie said.

Michael Bohlsen, co-owner of the Islip-based restaurant group, which has five eateries and is opening a sixth in Babylon, said Farmingdale is an ideal spot for growth.

Bohlsen, in a statement, said his company “would welcome the opportunity to become part of the dining scene in Farmingdale.”

He added of the Conklin Street property, “It is a beautiful building and would make a great restaurant.”