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Seaford Avenue School sale completed

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Three-quarters of a century after it was built, the Seaford Avenue School no longer belongs to the school district.

Nearly three years after voters approved a deal for the former elementary school to be sold to a developer, ownership has been transferred to the real estate firm The Engel Burman Group, of Garden City, which will build 112 senior housing units on the property. Closing was completed on Sept. 18, and demolition is expected to begin shortly on the school, which was built in 1938.

Upon completion of the sale, $5.14 million was wired to the district’s bank accounts. The money will be in a tax reduction reserve fund, according to Superintendent Brian Conboy. He explained that the funds will be used to lower the district’s property tax levy over the next 10 years.


“Thanks to our residents, our school board, our administration team and The Engel Burman Group, Seaford is better positioned to enhance the quality of life for its residents and the education of its students,” Conboy said. “We look forward to managing these additional resources in ways that will propel our district to new levels in the future.”

In addition to the money from the sale, the district is expected to save about $100,000 per year in expenses, including building and grounds maintenance, utilities and security.

The district closed the school in 1981. It was rented out to Five Towns College for a decade, and then to Nassau BOCES, which moved out in 2010. The building has sat vacant since then, and has been a frequent target for vandals. Many windows have been broken, and sections of the exterior are covered in spray paint.

On May 2, the district opened the building one last time for residents and former students and staff to take a look around. Several artifacts had already been removed, including the dedication plaques. The district has also requested that the etchings “Educations Leads,” above the main entrance, and “Seaford School District No. 6,” at the top of the building, as well as the 1938 cornerstone, be preserved. Felicia Febrizio, a spokeswoman for the district, said that if the demolition team can successfully remove them, they will be turned over to the district.

“The sale of the Seaford Avenue School and property has been in the making for several years, with many people working together to ensure the proposed use of the property was one that would be the best fit for the community,” Seaford School Board President Bruce Kahn said. “To finalize this sale means that thousands of dollars will potentially be added to our school tax rolls, lowering the burden on our residents, and providing additional resources to enhance our programs and our district for our students.”

Voters approved the sale on Dec. 12, 2012, by a 203-vote margin. Since then, the developer gained all necessary approvals from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County.

Charles Wroblewski, a past president of the Seaford Historical Society and a Seaford Avenue School graduate, said condos are a much better use for the property than a vacant school. “Everything has its purpose, and it served its purpose,” he said. “I think that you need change. You want relief from school taxes, and this is a way.”

The Seasons at Seaford

When construction is complete, a single brick elementary school and surrounding fields will be replaced by eight buildings of 10 to 16 units each, as well as a clubhouse, an outdoor pool and parking. The two-story clubhouse will feature a fitness center, a sports bar, a sun room, a terrace and lounges.

Prices for the units, all roughly 1,000 square feet, begin at $454,000, with yearly taxes of approximately $14,000 and monthly maintenance costs of $383. There are four different floor plans that buyers can choose from, each with a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Upper-level units include a private elevator and loft, and ground-floor units include a basement.

A sales building is operating on the property, at the corner of Seaford and Waverly avenues. The only entrances and exits to the development will be on Waverly.

With the sale completed, the school is no longer public land, and fencing, with green dust shields, was almost immediately placed around the property. Heavy equipment is set up in the school’s back parking lot, indicating impending and long-awaited demolition.

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