Lalezarian Developers is planning to build a mixed use multi-story building with 296 apartment units, a restaurant and retail space on the ground floor at 199 Second Street in Mineola, Village of Mineola officials announced Wednesday.
Village of Mineola attorney John Spellman described the Lalezarian project – presented under the operating name of Mineola Metro LLC – at Mineola village board meeting.
The Mineola Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution at Spellman’s suggestion to act as lead agency on a coordinated environmental review of the proposed project.
“It’s another project that’s coming down to us as a proposal. It seems like it’s going to be a really good fit in that area,” Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said after the meeting. “I’m excited to see what they have to offer us.”
Strauss said company heads Frank and Kevin Lalezarian showed him preliminary plans for the project, which he said they’re currently “tweaking,” a month ago.
Strauss said the project includes plans to construct a village green and plaza in the center of what will be a horseshoe-shaped apartment complex. He said the project is consistent with development plans for the downtown area under the village master plan and would benefit local businesses.
Strauss said no hearing date has been set for the village board to hear the Lalezarian proposal.
After the meeting Spellman said he anticipated Lalezarian Developers would submit an application in time for a village board hearing on the apartment complex in November.
The site for the planned complex is currently occupied by a Citibank branch at the corner of Second Street and Mineola Boulevard on property Spellman said Lalezarian Developers owns.
Attempts to reach Kevin Lalezarian, a principal in the New Hyde Park-based company, for comment on the project were unavailing.
The project would be the second apartment complex Lalezarian Developers would have in the works in Mineola.
Lalezarian is currently building a 315-unit apartment complex at 250 Country Road in Mineola.
“We’re well into construction and continuing,” Lalezarian said, commenting on that project recently.
The apartment complex will ultimately have 166 one-bedroom units, 127 two-bedroom units and 33 three-bedroom units. It will also include 32 “workforce” units for first responders and younger “next generation” residents to be rented to people with incomes at between 50 percent and 75 percent of the median income in Nassau County.
The Old Country Road apartment complex is rising on the site of the former KeySpan building, which was demolished last February.
The Mineola village board approved a plan in December 2012 for Lalezarian Developers to build the apartment complex as a rental property. The Old County Road complex was originally proposed as a nine-story, 257-unit condominium complex when it submitted plans for the project in 2009.
Lalezarian later requested a change from condominiums to rental units, saying it was necessary for the company secure funding for the project.
As part of the approval made by the village board, the developer is paying the village $3.1 million in cash as a contribution for improvements in the business district.
Lalezarian Developers, which is located on Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park, also agreed to reduce from 30 years to 20 an agreement with the county Industrial Development Agency for payments in lieu of taxes.
In other developments:
• Village Department of Public Works Superintendent Thomas Rini said the renovation of Mineola’s Memorial Park is underway. A permanent covered performance stage is the central feature of the Memorial Park makeover the village board approved earlier this year. The renovation also includes construction of a new gazebo, refurbishing four tennis courts, paving pathways and adding new lighting.
