Mason Technologies shifts from renovation to new 69,120-square-foot Hauppauge facility
Suffolk IDA gives preliminary approval for tax incentives on $29.9M project
Project will retain 237 jobs and add 25 new full-time positions
New headquarters will include office, warehouse, event space, and solar panels
After Deer Park-based Mason Technologies planned to acquire and renovate a Hauppauge building, the company will now build an entirely new facility instead.
Mason, which specializes in low-voltage technology integration solutions, had originally planned to invest $20.8 million to renovate and expand the 50,000-square-foot building on 6.1 acres at 395 Oser Ave., for which the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency approved economic incentives to assist last spring.
Courtesy of Mason Technologies
However, after consulting with its architect Frank Relf and general contractor Kulka Group, the company has decided to demolish the existing building and construct a new 69,120-square-foot facility on the site. The Suffolk IDA has given preliminary approval for tax breaks to assist the $29.9 million project.
The project will create a centralized global headquarters for the Mason’s existing 237 full-time employees and an additional 25 full-time positions within two years of project completion, according to an IDA statement.
The proposed new facility will include office and warehouse space, as well as a dedicated exhibition and event area designed for business networking and demonstrations. The project also allows for a potential future expansion of up to 30,000 square feet.
The revised project is expected to allow Mason to occupy and operate from the facility about a year sooner than under the original renovation plan. Construction of the new facility is anticipated to generate about 100 construction jobs.
“The new project gives us a blank slate and allows us to design a facility that is fully tailored to our operational needs, without the limitations of the existing building,” Jennifer Mason, president of Mason Technologies, said in the statement. “This would not have been possible without our critical partnership with the Suffolk County IDA. We look forward to developing a headquarters that supports our team and our continued growth.”
Founded in 2002, Mason Technologies is a Suffolk County- and nationally certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) delivering turnkey and custom integration for structured cabling, audiovisual systems, data centers, and unified security platforms, such as access control and CCTV. The company has performed work all over the world, running projects in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, all for the U.S. government, according to its website.
“With these amended plans, Mason Technologies is making a long-term investment in Suffolk County and in its workforce,” Kelly Murphy, executive director of the Suffolk IDA, said in the statement. “This project reflects the type of thoughtful, forward-looking development that strengthens our local economy and retains high-quality jobs.”
Mason Technologies is also the first IDA client to qualify for additional tax benefits under Solar-Up Suffolk, an initiative to encourage the installation of solar energy systems. The company is expected to receive about $110,000 in property tax savings in exchange for installing solar panels on the roof of the new facility.
Industrial demand remains strong from pharmaceutical and home goods sectors.
Cold storage construction grows as e-commerce and food logistics expand.
Transit-oriented housing, casinos, and infrastructure projects expected to rise.
Financing challenges, high construction costs, and approvals may slow development.
With 2025 soon in the rearview mirror, Long Island’s real estate and construction leaders are looking ahead to next year, and what trends will dominate the commercial landscape.
MARIO ASARO: ‘I am having some discussions with key players to offer some interesting strategies to target some specialized tenants that might ensure these buildings are not sitting vacant in the coming years.’
Certain industrial sectors have shown promising activity that will likely carry over into 2026. “The pharmaceutical industry here on Long Island continues to grow and absorb industrial inventory,” says Mario Asaro, president of Industry One Realty in Melville. “Other tenants buying industrial properties are home goods and improvement distribution companies.”
However, new industrial inventory coming online may prevent vacancies from falling significantly. “There are a few projects in Melville and Bethpage that should get absorbed quickly because of their location,” Asaro says, “but what concerns me is additional large industrial buildings being built on speculation for lease only over the next 12-18 months.”
In order to fill these vacancies, Asaro is focused on finding companies that make a good fit for these spaces, along with some creative approaches to leasing. “I am having some discussions with key players to offer some interesting strategies to target some specialized tenants that might ensure these buildings are not sitting vacant in the coming years.”
Construction firms project the hot market for cold storage to continue after a booming 2025. “Across Long Island and the broader New York region, demand for cold storage is being driven by e-commerce, food logistics, and pharmaceutical distribution, and those needs remain steady,” says Michael Adler, director of business development for Aurora Contractors in Ronkonkoma. “With limited high-quality cold storage inventory in the market, we see a consistent pipeline ahead rather than a short-term cycle.”
MICHAEL ADLER: ‘Many Long Island communities are prioritizing transit-oriented developments, condominiums, and market-rate apartments to expand housing options and support smart-growth planning around their downtowns.’
The aging stock of existing cold storage facilities necessitate further development to meet the demand for space that is custom-tailored for activities such as e-commerce and grocery delivery, each of which have seen significant growth on Long Island. “The market still lacks sufficient modern, purpose-built facilities—many existing cold storage buildings are 20-plus years old and no longer meet the operational needs of today’s users,” says Dale Koch, principal at Bohler in Melville.
There is already momentum in the sector, and firms have reason to believe more development activity is on the horizon. “The Trader Joe’s and Venture Park projects are exciting examples of the kinds of construction projects that the need for modern cold storage facilities has created,” says Stephen Hayduk, principal and chief engineer of Hayduk Engineering in Ronkonkoma, referring to projects currently under way in Islandia and Hauppauge. “Modernization of this type of infrastructure is good for the environment, and good for business.”
Some firms foresee more activity in residential construction. “Many Long Island communities are prioritizing transit-oriented developments, condominiums, and market-rate apartments to expand housing options and support smart-growth planning around their downtowns,” Adler says.
Increased casino and hospitality sector development on Long Island could also lead to more construction activity. “We’re closely watching the momentum around casino and gaming proposals,” says Adler. “These large-scale entertainment and hospitality projects carry significant potential for the region, and our experience within the gaming market sector and other highly technical developments positions us well to support them as they advance in the coming year.”
STEPHEN HAYDUK: ‘The Trader Joe’s and Venture Park projects are exciting examples of the kinds of construction projects that the need for modern cold storage facilities has created.’
In addition to housing, civil engineering and infrastructure projects are expected to keep firms busy, including Suffolk County’s sewer expansion, to which Hayduk Engineering has contributed design support. “Here on Long Island, we will also be handling site and civil design for the Mastic Beach Revitalization and other housing projects,” Hayduk says.
Recent zoning initiatives mean more makeovers are on the way for Long Island’s retail landscape, driving the ‘de-malling’ trend into the new year. “We expect big box conversions to remain active, driven largely by ongoing efforts to reposition aging shopping centers across Long Island,” Koch says. “Commercial redevelopment zones—especially flexible floating zones like Brookhaven’s CRD—continue to incentivize this type of investment.”
The growth of the region’s healthcare industry may also spur local development, and Koch believes Bohler is primed for meeting the coming demand. “Healthcare is another area where we’re seeing a clear uptick heading into 2026,” he says. “As major healthcare systems continue to merge, grow, and rethink their real estate strategies, our in-house survey team is helping them fully understand their existing assets and evaluate opportunities for repurposing.”
Among the perennial obstacles that are believed to be impeding all types of development activity on Long Island, financing woes may tie up capital that could otherwise drive growth in the industrial real estate sector. “One major challenge is the wave of commercial mortgage-backed securities loan maturities hitting the market in 2026, which will put a lot of pressure on the industrial and flex building owners who can’t refinance at today’s higher rates,” explains Asaro. “Another continued concern is the high cost of construction… even with the scarcity of developable land, construction costs drive up the price of good potential development projects.”
DALE KOCH: ‘We expect big box conversions to remain active, driven largely by ongoing efforts to reposition aging shopping centers across Long Island.’
A complex and convoluted approval process for construction projects could continue to cause a slowdown in activity. “One of the ongoing challenges on Long Island is navigating the municipal approvals process, whether entitlements, site plan approvals, or zoning updates that help modernize long-standing requirements,” notes Adler. “These efforts require early coordination and close engagement with local agencies, and the timeline can be a real hurdle for developers, particularly in mixed-use and residential projects.”
Even with surging demand, finding talent to support large-scale projects remains difficult. “Recruitment of experienced project managers in the current environment has been a challenge,” admits Hayduk.
Despite the potential bumps in the road, industry leaders like Adler remain optimistic in their outlook. “When owners, design teams, and public officials collaborate early and often, we’ve seen that good projects can move forward in a way that benefits both the community and the long-term development goals of the region.”
The Newbridge Residence at 558 LLC, headed by Andrew Zucaro, John Brunetti and James O’Donnell, is planning to construct two separate buildings totaling 21,210 square feet on a 1.15-acre vacant lot at 558 Newbridge Road. The lot previously belonged to St. Raphael Roman Catholic Church.
The development will have 20 two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments. The $8 million project has town zoning and site plan approval, which were obtained by a prior owner, according to an IDA statement.
The developers are seeking a 20-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, which would raise property taxes from $34,931 currently to $180,000 in its final year, according to the IDA. The project is expected to create up to 70 construction jobs and one part-time permanent position.
“This project will help to satisfy the demand for quality rental housing in East Meadow and in the Town of Hempstead while, over time, generating substantial revenues for the affected taxing jurisdictions,” Fred Parola, CEO of the Hempstead IDA, said in the statement.
Zucaro, who owns Freeport-based Zucaro Construction, is a prolific developer who has built a variety of multifamily, hospitality, retail and other commercial projects over the past 45 years. His developments have earned several accolades, including a Smart Growth Award from Vision Long Island for a 115-unit apartment complex in Amityville.
The IDA benefits for the East Meadow project still requires a public hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 2, before a final authorizing resolution can be approved.
Construction on the development is expected to start shortly with completion projected towards the end of next year.
Tariffs, labor shortages, and zoning issues cited as main factors
Nationally, job growth slows with only 177 of 360 metros seeing gains
Construction employment on Long Island saw another year-over-year drop in August, the sixth straight month of decline, according to a new report from the Associated General Contractors of America, blaming the shrinking number of jobs nationally on tariffs and workforce shortages.
Nassau and Suffolk counties lost 4,900 construction jobs from August 2024 to August 2025, a 6 percent year-over-year decline, falling from 84,600 to 79,700, the AGCA reports.
Regionally, the number of construction jobs in New York City was down 5 percent, losing 7,900 jobs from August 2024 to August 2025, falling from 145,500 to 137,600. New York City’s job loss was the largest of the 360 metro areas in the report.
Nationally, construction employment rose in 177 of 360 metro areas between August 2024 and August 2025, while it declined in 125 metro areas and was unchanged in 58 areas, according to AGCA and new government employment data. It’s the fewest number of metro areas adding jobs since 2021.
Association officials noted that many private-sector developers appear to be putting projects on hold amid rising prices caused by tariffs, workforce shortages and higher interest rates.
“Construction employment has stalled or retreated in more and more areas as owners pull back on projects in the face of higher costs,” Ken Simonson, the AGCA’s chief economist, said in a written statement. “Workforce shortages, tariffs and higher interest rates are inflating construction costs and schedules to the point where many projects no longer appear to make sense to developers.”
Here on Long Island, industry experts say the biggest obstacle is the lack of multifamily zoning that limits opportunities to build housing, the type of construction that’s in the greatest demand.
“We face the same challenges, same material costs, same labor costs, all that stuff that everyone else across the nation faces,” Mike Florio, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute, told LIBN. There is greater opportunity when you go to the Carolinas and Austin, Texas and Florida and the Southeast, when here there’s not as much opportunity to build. The lack of approvals and permitted jobs is holding Long Island’s economy back.”
Nationally, there were 188,000 job openings in construction, seasonally adjusted, at the end of August, according to a government report, that’s a 38 percent decline from a year earlier and the lowest total since 2017. The data suggests even fewer areas are likely to have construction employment increases in the near future, Simonson said. A prolonged federal shutdown could also impact construction employment if public works projects are suspended or fail to get needed approvals to start because federal officials are unavailable to sign off, according to the statement.
Metro areas adding the most construction jobs over the last year include the Arlington-Alexandria-Reston, Va. Area, which added 8,200 jobs for a 9 percent increase; followed by the Washington D.C area, which added 6,600 jobs for a 14 percent gain; and the Chicago area gaining 5,400 jobs for a 4 percent rise.
Besides New York City, the metro areas seeing the largest drops in construction employment from August 2024 to August 2025 include the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. area which lost 6,500 jobs for a 6 percent drop; the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif. area dropping 6,000 jobs for a 6 percent decline; and the Baton Rouge, La. area, which was down 5,700 jobs in an 11 percent decline.
Nearly a third of construction firms nationwide have suffered workforce shortages because of aggressive immigration enforcement.
That’s according to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA) and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), which also found that 92 percent of contractors report they are having a hard time filling open positions. As a result, 88 percent of firms report having openings for craft construction workers, while 80 percent of firms have openings for salaried workers.
“As the survey results show, construction workforce shortages aren’t just a problem for the construction industry,” Ken Simonson, AGCA’s chief economist, said during a virtual media briefing to release the results. “Construction projects of all types are being delayed because there aren’t enough qualified workers available for firms to hire.”
The AGCA says one reason for the shortage of workers is because federal officials have failed to properly invest in construction workforce training and education. Simonson said that 57 percent of firms report that available candidates are not qualified to work in the industry because they lack essential skills or do not have an appropriate license for the position.
But lately, the industry has been hurt by stepped-up immigration enforcement. Twenty-eight percent of survey respondents report being affected directly or indirectly by immigration enforcement activities during the past six months, while 5 percent reported a jobsite or offsite was visited by immigration agents. Ten percent of those surveyed said workers left or failed to appear because of actual or rumored immigration actions, and 20 percent report subcontractors lost workers.
While the worst of the immigration crackdown effects has happened in states like Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, construction employment on Long Island has been declining for several months. Nassau and Suffolk counties lost 3,400 construction jobs from July 2024 to July 2025, a 4 percent year-over-year decline, falling from 84,300 to 80,900, the AGCA reports, and the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year declines.
Worker shortages were the most-commonly listed reason for project delays, according to the survey. Forty-five percent of respondents report experiencing project delays due to shortages of their own and subcontractors. Overall, 78 percent of firms report experiencing at least one project that has been delayed during the past twelve months.
“The survey underscores the urgent need to grow our construction workforce and illustrates there is a great need to continue our recruiting efforts and provide accelerated learning opportunities,” Boyd Worsham, president and CEO of NCCER, said in a written statement. “By expanding access to industry training and career and technical education, we can prepare people for meaningful careers, strengthen contractors’ ability to deliver projects and build the communities we all depend on.”
