More milestones for Garvies Point development

It was a long time in the making, but the Glen Cove waterfront is now not only available for public use, it’s actually being used by residents for recreation. The road is open, sidewalks have been built and an esplanade and bike path stretches along the water, where cyclists, pedestrians and dog walkers are regularly out utilizing this resource. Earlier this year the dog park opened, and on Saturday, the playground officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Garvies Point Waterfront development took decades to get to this point, but once the construction started, it did not take long to see the transformation. Buildings have risen, the landscape has improved, and the waterfront is now usable. The entire project is still several years away from completion, but the roads, sidewalks and parks are open for public use, and several hundred residents have moved into the condominium and rental units.

“I think the project is bringing a good group of people,” said Joe Graziose, executive vice president of residential development and construction at RXR Realty, “and I’ve heard on more than one occasion that the downtown has seen more shopping and activity.”

According to Graziose, the development project has three unique components: the infrastructure, the public infrastructure and the private buildings. The mile-long Herb Hill/Garvies Point Road was finished last year and has been transformed into a “complete street” with new pedestrian sidewalks, sewer, water and electrical utilities, and storm management infrastructure. As part of the project, the roadway’s grade was elevated and all utilities are being relocated underground to provide better resiliency against future storm events, Graziose said. The telephone polls, he said, are the only thing left to relocate at this point.

This project was supported by a $2.5 million Empire State Development capital grant, recommended by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council.  In addition, Glen Cove worked with Nassau County and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council to program over $6.5 million dollars in Federal Highway Administration funding for construction of the roadway, administered through the New York State Department of Transportation.

“Ensuring that our cities are walkable and bikeable, with access to the amenities that make it unique and inviting, are vital to our placemaking efforts,” said Eric Gertler, acting commissioner of ESD. “The strategic investment in Herb Hill/Garvies Point Road will help to revitalize and enhance an area of Glen Cove, allowing the community to better showcase part of the North Shore and generate new interest from residents, visitors and businesses.”

The road and utilities are vital to the development, but it’s the public infrastructure piece that will attract the community at large. This part includes the dog park, the esplanade, the playground, and the marinas. Graziose explained that, with the city sold bonds on the open market for $120 million to fund this part of the project, which will be repaid through taxes from the private buildings.

Currently, three residential buildings are complete and occupied: The Beacon, the luxury condominium building at 100 Garvies Point Road, is 60 percent sold; Harbor Landing North, with 177 rental units at 350 Herb Hill Road, is fully occupied; and Harbor Landing South, with 208 units, is at about 60 percent occupancy, Graziose said.

And more residential buildings, with both rentals and condos, are planned.

Given the “economic environment,” Graziose said, RXR is in the process of amending the planned unit density for two sectors. Instead of constructing an office building in the commercial space, they want to create a 165-car parking lot. “The parking is desperately needed there,” Graziose said.

And rather than dividing the property into 50 workforce condos and 122 market rentals, they will build 172 luxury rental units.

At the part of the development closer to the water, where an 11-story, 346-unit condominium building was planned, Graziose said they will instead divide that project into three buildings, each 10 stories high, and build them one at a time.

“The market can’t bear bringing on 346 condos at one time. It will fail,” Graziose said. “We’re looking at ways of continuing the process.”

And the tax money from the buildings, he noted, will repay the bond, “so it’s kind of important it gets going sooner rather than later.”

He said public meetings on the subject are planned for next month.

Also being built is a new home for the Garvies Point Brewery, which will relocate to the Marina Support Building on Herb Hill Road, right on the water. The 7,500-square-foot brew pub is expected to be complete in March 2022. “It’s going to be game changer,” Graziose said.

The Angler’s Club has a new building and marina, both of which are complete, and the other marina is expected to be complete next year.

On Saturday, many families gathered and children played on the new playground. Mr. Softee also supplied free ice cream—courtesy of RXR—to those in attendance.

Glen Cove resident Carrie Walter said she brings her dog to the Garvies Point dog park regularly and now that the playground is open, has been bringing her son to play. “This is awesome,” she said. “He could play here for hours.”