Plaza board mulls 3 Grace Ave. plan

Anthony Oreilly

A Great Neck developer presented a plan Wednesday to the Village of Great Neck Plaza to convert an office building at 3 Grace Avenue into a mixed-use building.

In what was termed an informal hearing, attorney Paul Bloom said Namdar Realty Group was seeking to add two floors to the existing structure for residential units.

“What makes this a viable project is the residential use,” said Bloom, a former chair of the Village of Great Neck planning board. “There is very little demand for the corporate use.” 

The proposal is based on a village law passed in June 2011 that permits residential units to occupy the top floors of a building with commercial or retail units on the ground floor subject to board approval.

Architect John Schimenti said Namdar Realty is seeking to raise the height of the building from 24-feet to 39-feet to accommodate the two additional floors.

The first floor, Schimenti said, would be comprised of two commercial or retail units and three residential units – two two-bedroom apartments and one one-bedroom apartment. 

The second, third and fourth floors would be all residential with eight one-bedroom units on each floor, Schimenti said. 

A variance would be needed to allow residential units on the first floor of the building, he said.

Trustees questioned the use of residential units on the first floor. 

“We did not allow any apartments in the building next door on the first floor,” Trustee Pamela Marksheid said referring to a mixed-used project approved by trustees for 5-9 Grace Avenue. 

The project by developer and Kings Point trustee Hooshang Nematzadeh at 5-9 Grace Ave. was approved by the Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Zoning Appeals in late January with Schimenti the architect.

Trustees also expressed concern that the construction of Nematzadeh’s building and Namdar Realty’s proposed construction would congest Grace Avenue.

Bloom said Namdar Realty has signed an agreement with Nematzadeh to use the 5-9 Grace Avenue location as a staging area during the construction of the additional two stories, which he said would start before Nematzadeh’s.  

“We’re providing a staging area away from the street, away from traffic,” Bloom said. 

Nematzadeh, owner of Nemat Homes Inc., confirmed in an interview that he had agreed to use his building as a staging area, as long as it “does not impact construction.” 

“If it does not affect our construction, we don’t mind,” Nematzadeh said. 

Nematzadeh also said he supported the proposed construction by Namdar Realty. 

Trustee Gerry Schneiderman said he would prefer the construction of Nematzadeh’s building to start before Namdar Realty’s.  

“We’ve been looking at that empty building for a year now,” Schneiderman said. “Now we’re looking at it being like that for another two years.”

Bloom said the construction of 3 Grace Avenue would take less than two years to complete. 

“We are serious about this project,” he said. “This client is very, very intent on completing this project as fast as possible.”

Bloom and Schimenti said the project would take up to four months to complete after all necessary approvals were granted by the village. 

Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender requested that three of apartments be set aside for affordable housing to which Bloom agreed.

Bloom also said Launchpad, a technology startup company, has already agreed to be the building’s first tenants. The company would be located in the basement, Bloom said. 

“This building will provide a benefit to those startup companies that want to be close to the railroad,” he said.

In other developments:

• Trustees approved a conditional-use permit for Muse Paint Bar at 34 Middle Neck Road – the former site of Bruce’s Bakery. 

Building owner Stan Finch said the facility would be used to offer people art lessons. Patrons could also order wine or beer during their session, Finch said.

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