After calling Franklin Avenue home for more than 40 years, Saks Fifth Avenue is saying goodbye to Garden City. The department store operator, Saks Inc., intends to close 11 of its under-performing locations, including three of its Off 5th discount outlet stores in order to focus on the more profitable stores.

Village historian John Ellis Kordes believes what was once a retail Mecca has changed its dynamics. "Saks leaving Franklin Avenue is just another sign of that," he said. Garden City came close to losing the store a few years back when it considered making a move to Roosevelt Field Mall. Saks, however, stayed put on a street that it helped get its name - "Long Island's Fifth Avenue."

Russell Matthews, executive vice president of the Albanese Organization in Garden City, said the failure of the village to continue its Franklin Avenue revitalization project north toward Old Country Road, in spite of the chamber of commerce's repeated requests, has served as Saks' "doom."

Matthews' understanding is that the building is already under contract with a new owner, who is currently calling brokers. "I believe efforts should be made to reach out to that owner to ensure that whatever comes in is comparable to Saks," he said. "We need to focus on what happens next because it's important."

Commercial real estate expert Bert Donley, president of Garden City Properties, said he too heard that same rumor. He, however, also heard, from an equally reliable source, the exact opposite - there is no buyer. Saks' ownership has not confirmed either of those rumors and did not return calls as of press time. "It's neither here nor there," Donley said. "The big question is what the new person is going to do with it, no matter who the buyer is."

Mayor Barbara Miller said she and Village Administrator Robert Schoelle, Jr. have been in contact with Saks' president. "The village certainly did try to keep Saks in Garden City," she assured. "As far as I know, they are selling the building and I'm sure whatever goes in there will serve this village well."

But Donley believes the chance of attracting another prestigious retailer to fill up the 100,000-foot building (although, as of right, one could build 200,000 feet on the lot) may be difficult. He suspects whoever buys the property is going to pay based on what he/she can do there, not what is there.

"Honestly, the mentality around here is 'more office buildings.' Well, there's a lot of office space being absorbed on Franklin Avenue right now. That could be seen to some as risky," he admitted.

Although quality office buildings do exist along the commercial strip, Donley believes it has left retail in limbo. "Apparently Saks needs companions, it doesn't stand alone," he added. Breaking up the property could provide an opportunity to place and attract, for example, a high-end supermarket, for approximately 30,000 to 50,000 square feet, in combination with possibly a major bookstore, to use another example. "It could make that whole strip viable again," he said.

Donley too alluded to the incomplete revitalization of Franklin. "There's a lot of legs to the stool and if you add all of these things together, you could say it led to the demise."

Over its 45-year membership with the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, many of Saks' managers have served on the chamber's board. Alan Tobman, the store's current manager, serves as a chamber director.

"Saks Fifth Avenue is proud to have participated in the development and growth of the Garden City business community," Althea Robinson, chamber executive director, said. "They are leaving a very valuable location with a distinctive architecture that, when sold, will command a high price. The chamber sees this as a wake up call and an opportunity for the community to finish the streetscape improvement project north of Eleventh Street, which we have continually supported."

Saks, which broke ground at the Franklin Avenue location back in 1960, will officially close in January.