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Tag: long island housing

  • Heatherwood wins bid for 500-unit East Farmingdale project | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • selected by New York State for major housing project

    • Nearly 500 apartments planned, including studios, townhomes, and three-bedroom units

    • Development includes parking garage, amenities, walking trail, and “Airplane Park”

    • Long-vacant site may receive environmental remediation support

    Commack-based Heatherwood Communities was selected by the state to build nearly 500 apartments on a long-vacant site. 

    The developer, which answered the request for proposals issued in May 2024, plans to build a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as townhouse units, in buildings up to five stories. The project includes 630 parking spaces, with a covered garage, both indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, a landscaped walking trail, and an “Airplane Park” public open space honoring the site’s aviation history, according to a statement from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. 

    “Heatherwood is excited to partner with the governor‘s office, the State of New York and the Town of Babylon on this generational development opportunity,” Chris Capece, Heatherwood president, said in the statement. “To reposition a blighted and underutilized site that’s laid fallow for decades, for high-quality multifamily housing in the 110 corridor, which holds Long Island’s highest concentration of jobs with adjacent uses, is a unique opportunity for us as Long Islanders. As Heatherwood continues to grow its footprint nationally, we’re proud to invest locally to make our home region a better place.” 

    Sean Sallie, Heatherwood’s senior director of planning and development, told LIBN the company is ready to go. “It’s a multi-tiered process with the state, the Federal Aviation Agency and the town,” Sallie said. “We have tasks ahead of us, but we’re confident we’re going to deliver for the state and the town.” 

    Currently owned by the New York State Department of Transportation as part of Republic Airport, the site along Conklin Street has been the subject of several past proposals for development. 

    Some remediation may be needed on site for potential subsurface environmental contamination, which will be supported by an up to $4 million Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to the Town of Babylon, as LIBN previously reported. 

    The narrow strip of land once owned by Fairchild Republic stretches east from Route 110 to New Highway and has gone from aviation hub to industrial ghost town. On the south side of Conklin Street is the 56-acre Airport Plaza, a 450,000-square-foot retail center near the main Fairchild Republic aircraft plant. But since Fairchild closed operations in 1987, nothing has been taking off on the abandoned site.  

    In 1927, the Ranger Aircraft Engine Corp. was the first aviation firm to locate on the northern strip of the Fairchild property, where it constructed manufacturing and test facilities for aircraft engines. 

    Republic Aviation Corp. purchased the property in 1955 and used the existing facilities for research and development and office space. The Farmingdale Co. owned the property from 1965 to 1972, when Fairchild Industries purchased it and used it as warehouse and office space. It closed in 1987, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.  

    Save for a small right-of-way controlled by the Long Island Rail Road, which borders the site on the north, the parcel is now owned by the DOT. Over the years, ideas for redevelopment – more retail, a train station, housing – have come mostly from local politicians, businesses and the site’s largest neighbor, Republic Airport. 

    “For far too long, this state-owned property has sat vacant and underutilized, holding back the potential of an entire community. All New Yorkers deserve the opportunity to have a quality, affordable place to call home,” Governor Hochul said in the statement. “By leveraging state-owned land and partnering with experienced local developers, we are turning our historic housing commitments into reality and building a more affordable New York in communities across the state, including on Long Island.” 


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    David Winzelberg

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  • Development projects set to position Long Island for a strong 2026 | Long Island Business News

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    In Brief:
    • 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 , 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 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. “ 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 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.”


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    JARED SCOT, LIBN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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  • Long-held Valley Stream apartment property has new owner | Long Island Business News

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    Inked: Long Island commercial real estate sales and leases

    Recent Long Island commercial deals include property sales in Oceanside, Babylon, Riverhead, and North Babylon[…]

    August 21, 2025

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    David Winzelberg

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  • Matinecock Court affordable housing opening in East Northport | Long Island Business News

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    The wait is finally over. 

    After more than 46 years in the making, the affordable housing development in East Northport will welcome its first residents in just a couple of weeks. 

    LIBN has learned that developers expect to receive certificates of occupancy for about half of the buildings at the limited-equity cooperative complex and other necessary final approvals by the end of the month. 

    A kitchen in one of Matinecock Court’s 146 homes. / Photo by David Winzelberg

    The $97 million development, located on 14.5 acres on the northwest corner of Elwood Road and Pulaski Road, brings 146 residences in 17 two-story residential buildings consisting of 18 one-bedroom units, 89 two-bedroom units, 38 three-bedroom units and a two-bedroom unit for the superintendent. Eight of the units are reserved for individuals with developmental disabilities and five are set aside for veterans. The project includes a 2,500-square-foot community building with a fitness center, administrative offices and meeting areas for residents. It also has its own sewage treatment plant.  

    Monthly maintenance fees at Matinecock Court range from $1,300 to $2,100, depending on the size of the unit. Prospective residents have to meet income requirements that restrict ownership in the gated community to households earning between $47,000 and $95,000 a year.  

    “We held a lottery a couple of months ago and received over 1,000 applications for 146 units,” Peter Florey, a principal of Levittown-based Group, which partnered with Greenlawn-based on the East Northport project, told LIBN.  

    First residents are expected to move into Matinecock Court early next month. / Photo by David Winzelberg

    Florey added that he expects the first move-ins at Matinecock Court in the first week of September, and once final approvals are granted for the rest of the buildings, all residents should be in by November. 

    “We’re confident that we have enough people for full occupancy, with a substantial waiting list,” he said. “It will likely be a 45-day process to get everyone in.” 

    First pitched in 1978, the East Northport development has survived multiple court challenges, one of which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Town of and local residents tried in vain to derail it. The project, advanced by Housing Help, was stalled under other developers until D&F was tapped in Jan. 2021 to see it through.  

    “Matinecock Court represents more than just new housing, it’s the result of decades of persistence, advocacy, and community partnership to ensure that affordable housing is a reality on Long Island,” said Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Housing Help. “We are grateful to D&F Development for helping bring this vision to life. When the lottery for its 146 apartments opened this summer, we received 1,000 applications—85.7% from Long Island and 32.1% from the Town of Huntington—proving the need is overwhelmingly local. Matinecock Court is not the finish line. It must be a blueprint for future projects, so we don’t wait another 45 years to meet our community’s housing needs.” 

    Housing advocates have hailed the opening of the project. 

    “We commend Housing Help and D&F Development for their perseverance in bringing Matinecock Court to the finish line,” Roger Weaving, president of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition, said in a written statement. “This attractive development stands as an excellent illustration of contemporary affordable housing.” 

    Weaving added that affordable housing opportunities like Matinecock Court can help stem the exodus of people leaving Long Island, and much more is needed. 

    “The few units of housing being created on Long Island today are overwhelmingly single-family homes, but this doesn’t meet the needs of smaller households,” he said. “When people can’t afford housing, they leave town and look for opportunities elsewhere.” 

    Matinecock Court is not the first limited-equity cooperative complex that D&F, headed by Florey and Leonard D’Amico, has developed. In 2017, D&F completed Long Island’s first limited-equity housing co-op called Highland Green in Melville. The $34 million project created a two-story, income-restricted, 117-townhouse community on an 8-acre site once occupied by a commercial nursery on Ruland Road. Purchasers bought into the co-ops for low down payments – from $1,880 to $2,600 – and part of their $940 to $1,300 monthly maintenance charges builds equity in the complex while helping to pay down a tax-exempt bond used to finance its construction. 


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    David Winzelberg

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