First building topped off at Garvies Point

The construction at Garvies Point reached a major milestone on Feb. 22, as RXR Realty celebrated the topping off of the Beacon at Garvies Point. Symbolically, a building is “topped off” as a representation of the completion of its vertical construction. Once it is topped off, a building will not be built any taller, and the rest of the construction will be focused on its interior.

A ceremony was held outside of the Beacon, as RXR executives and Glen Cove city officials congratulated the 100-plus construction workers on their significant achievement.

Joe Graziose, executive vice president of Residential Development and Construction at RXR, led the ceremony from a podium at the base of the building. A lifelong resident of Glen Cove, he said that the project has been especially important to him.

“Glen Cove is my home,” Graziose told the crowd. “Glen Cove is a special place for [me] but also for RXR and the investments that were made in this community.”

Following a rendition of the National Anthem sung by Glen Cove High School senior Alondra Schuck, Mayor Tim Tenke took the podium to not only congratulate RXR, but to also announce that was happy that the construction was making such significant strides toward its completion.

“I can honestly tell you that after 20 years of planning and perseverance, I could not be happier than to be standing right here today,” he said. Tenke also said he greatly appreciated RXR’s dedication to hiring locally, making sure that the workers of Glen Cove are the ones to be credited for the success of the project.

Tenke’s speech culminated into a passionate expression of gratitude toward the workers who made the topping off possible. “I want to say ‘thank you’ to every one of you that are out here,” he said. “This is your day.”

Joanne Minieri, executive vice president of RXR Realty and COO of Construction and Development, spoke of how encouraged she is by the project’s progress in terms of how it will ultimately benefit the citizens of Glen Cove.

“The transformation occurring at Garvies Point,” she said, “is a clear reflection of the commitment and focus by the City of Glen Cove, the municipal agencies and RXR, and their desire to not only create communities, but to connect each and every one of its residents and neighbors to build a desirable lifestyle.”

Then a symbolic block of cement adorned with the American flag and flags displaying the logos of RXR, Garvies Point and RXR construction partner Hunter Roberts was lifted by crane to the top of the Beacon.

The workers then filed into the garage portion of the building to enjoy a locally-catered lunch.

After the ceremony, Tenke spoke about what the developments at Garvies Point mean to the city as a whole.

“It means that an area that was blighted is now being rejuvenated,” he said. “We are a waterfront community and this is part of our waterfront. To have this 28 acres of park land to be usable again for our public . . . I think this is going to be a wonderful addition to this area and really become a destination for Glen Cove.”

“I feel like a million dollars,” Graziose said. “It’s amazing, because these are all labors of love at the end of the day and there are a lot of men and women that are out here kicking their butt every day to make this happen for us. This is our opportunity to celebrate it for them.”

The construction moving forward will be dedicated toward completing the 167 condominium units inside the Beacon, the prices for which begin at $700,000. According to Graziose, about half of these units have already been sold, and RXR aims to have residents move in by the end of 2019.