The Babylon IDA weighs tax break for North Amityville warehouse project
GKN Aerospace on New Horizon Boulevard in Amityville in 2023, where a developer is seeking tax breaks to open up a warehouse. Credit: Tom Lambui
A Manhattan-based real estate firm seeking to build warehouse space in a North Amityville industrial park is asking the Babylon Industrial Development Agency for a sales tax exemption of more than $400,000.
A subsidiary of W.P. Carey is looking to renovate the building at 1000 New Horizons Blvd. The company plans to demolish 28,636 square feet of office space and modernize 243,000 square feet. The building sits on a 16.9-acre lot. The work would entail building new loading docks and the installation of new HVAC units and equipment, according to the company’s application.
The applicant, listed in IDA documents as SM NY QRS 14-93 Inc., seeks a sales tax exemption of up to $428,150. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Old Town Hall in Babylon Village.
According to the company’s application, W.P. Carey owns and operates more than 1,600 properties globally. The company plans to invest more than $9 million in capital improvements and upgrades, according to the application. The building renovations are intended to attract tenants for “light industrial, warehouse and distribution uses.”
The space had been used for decades by aircraft manufacturer GKN Aerospace Monitor, which announced in 2023 that it would be closing and laying off 200 workers. According to a state Department of Labor notice, the space has been vacant since the end of 2024.
The renovation work is expected to bring 35 full-time construction jobs, according to the IDA application. The application does not say how many full-time permanent jobs are expected once the space is leased.
"We're excited by the prospect of SM-NY bringing good paying construction and manufacturing jobs to the Town of Babylon and the overall positive benefits a project like this brings to our local economy," Babylon IDA CEO Keith Davies said in a statement to Newsday.
The sales tax exemption would be on materials purchased to renovate the property, an IDA spokesman said.
In its application, the company said the sales tax exemption is “essential.”
“The improvements to the facility will permit a larger number of businesses to rent, use and occupy” the building, the company said. The work is expected to start this spring and take a year to complete, according to the application.
The company will need planning board approval. It must also go before the town zoning board for a parking variance.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
'Very strong winds on the Island' A dangerous winter storm is on its way to Long Island. Newsday meteorologist Bill Korbel reports.
'Very strong winds on the Island' A dangerous winter storm is on its way to Long Island. Newsday meteorologist Bill Korbel reports.
