Island Park apartment development a step closer to completion

A Long Island developer’s vision to create rental options on the Island Park waterfront is one step closer to fruition, as the builder and elected officials plan to raise a steel beam Tuesday to mark completion of the shell of a new apartment building.

Vitale Properties plans to open The Bridgeview, a 117-unit apartment building, this fall in the Barnum Island section of Island Park on the site of the former Bridgeview Yacht Club catering hall. 

The $45 million project represents the latest milestone in the area’s transformation after Superstorm Sandy. The storm destroyed the popular dockside bar Paddy McGee's and persuaded developer John Vitale to build hundreds of apartments as well as a shopping center anchored by King Kullen rather than continue operating several of his restaurants and bars in the flood-prone area.

The Bridgeview joins the neighboring Channel Club apartments, which Vitale Properties opened in 2019. That building has 86 units and was fully leased within six months of opening, the developer said.

"These properties needed to be reimagined, reinvented and repurposed, and I think we’ve accomplished that," Vitale said in an interview.

Part of that redevelopment has included fortifying the new apartments against future storms. Vitale Properties raised the site to about 7 feet above sea level and residents’ units will be 20 feet above sea level. The building will also be equipped with flood vents. A transformer that can continue operating while submerged in water will power the building.

The building will have one- and two-bedroom units with rents starting at $3,500, according to preliminary estimates. Prices will ultimately reflect market conditions when the building opens, said Dylan Vitale, a partner in Vitale Properties.

"We have created a walkable community with the Channel Club and the shopping center, so the Bridgeview is the next step in that evolution," Vitale said.

Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti said he supports new housing like The Bridgeview that fits in the neighborhood where it’s built.

But Ferretti said he opposes any effort by Gov. Kathy Hochul or legislators in Albany to overrule the town’s authority over zoning, including the governor's proposal to speed up the state’s lengthy environmental review process, known as SEQRA. 

"I do think development is needed, but it’s got to be smart development," Ferretti said. "It’s got to be development that is within the character of our suburban community. We have to resist any one-size-fits-all Albany bureaucratic control where they take away zoning rights and cram New York City-style apartment buildings down our throat."

More than 120 tradespeople are working on the site, among them electricians, plumbers, HVAC specialists and fire sprinkler installers, said Jon Weiss, president of B2K Development’s construction division, which is the general contractor on the project.

Weiss said the apartments will provide options for downsizers who no longer want to maintain a home and young families who want to put down roots but can’t afford to buy a home. The median home price in Nassau County was $850,000 in February, according to OneKey MLS. 

"We are hurting as an Island to retain our young people and retain our retirees," he said.

But even as the area changes, and some of the restaurants and bars fade from memory, one summertime staple will remain. Jordan Lobster Farms, the restaurant and seafood market, will continue operating, said John Vitale, who co-owns Jordan’s.

"Jordan’s is not going anywhere," Vitale said. "It’s a big attraction. Even for residents moving in here, they like the idea of being next to Jordan’s." 

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.