Lynbrook, East Rockaway have major projects on tap in 2022

With the start of the new year, many projects are in the works locally that Lynbrook and East Rockaway village officials say are scheduled for completion in 2022 or the coming years.

In Lynbrook

On Jan. 20, developer Terwilliger & Bartone Properties will officially open the four-story, 80-unit, $24 million Cornerstone at Yorkshire apartment complex, which replaced the Capri Lynbrook Motor Inn. The motel was razed in June 2020, after several battles between village officials and the motel’s owners over alleged criminal activity there. Terwilliger & Bartone recently received the village’s approval to open, and tenants began moving in last month.

The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency unanimously granted a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement for it in February 2020. The IDA granted a mortgage-recording tax abatement, a sales-tax abatement and a 20-year PILOT, which will begin at the present tax level of $228,155 per year and gradually increase to $1.1 million by its final year.

Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach did not have a timetable for completion of the $95 million, 201-unit apartment complex at the former site of the vacant Mangrove Feather factory; however, village officials and the developer, Breslin Realty, said they hope the abandoned building will be razed by the end of February. After that, construction should take up to two years.

Breslin received approval from village officials last June to demolish the industrial building across from the Lynbrook Long Island Rail Road station, which has been vacant for more than a decade, and build a 278,014- square-foot, transit-oriented development with 55 studios, 111 one-bedroom and 35 two-bedroom apartments. The Town of Hempstead IDA approved a 30-year PILOT agreement for the project in November.

“We’re all looking forward to bringing life back to our downtown and to our local businesses,” Beach said, “and getting the pandemic in the rearview mirror.”

Beach also said he hopes to see the reopening of the Lynbrook Diner, which closed in March 2019 for renovations after 90 years of continuous operation. Its interior is now under construction.

The mayor would also like to conduct a feasibility study into adding a pedestrian walkthrough on the west side of Atlantic Avenue to connect it to Broadway, among other projects.

Beach added that a number of roads will be repaved in 2022, drainage issues will be addressed at areas that often flood in the village, the hockey rink at Greis Park will be redeveloped, recreation programs will expand, and the annual Oktoberfest will continue in the fall, along with other outdoor events slated for the spring and summer. That includes, Beach said, the possibility of Patriots Day returning on Memorial Day weekend, as village officials seek to discover a way to hold a fireworks display without damaging the new artificial-turf field at Greis Park.

“I also want to continue to attract quality businesses that make Lynbrook a prime destination for entertainment and commerce,” Beach said.

In East Rockaway

East Rockaway Mayor Bruno Romano said the board has several goals for 2022, including continuing to see the village through the coronavirus pandemic while helping improve commerce for local businesses.

“In the year ahead, the board and I will improve on our great success of 2021,” he wrote in an email. “Even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, we welcome new business, expand village programs and events, invest in our future through sound infrastructure projects and continue to make East Rockaway more resilient from weather emergencies.”

Romano added that officials plan to allocate resources to improve quality of life, public safety and health initiatives while providing “top-notch programs for our children and seniors.”

Romano said he was particularly excited about the new restaurant Haviland Kitchen and Bar, which recently opened on Main Street, and the grand opening of the Strongbox Theater, which was built at the site of the former East Rockaway National Bank and Trust Company. The structure was constructed in 1930 and had stood vacant for five years.

“The village board and I look forward to resuming our traditional events for this upcoming year,” Romano wrote. “We are looking forward to our Easter egg hunt, Memorial Day parade, Huckleberry Frolic, in addition to our other events which we host every year.”

He added that the village would also host an Oktoberfest event, in addition to the traditional Halloween and Christmas festivities later in the year. Romano said officials also planned to expand its senior and recreation center programs. Romano said he was proud of the board for its hard work and its efforts to keep the community safe during a difficult time.

“We are extremely proud of our great team which we have always helping our residents,” he wrote, “working extremely hard and always being creative on achieving their work more efficiently and bringing wonderful new ideas and programs to our village. I applaud them for that.”