Applicant Mineola 212 LLC has asked to change its original approved plan of for rental apartments to fully owned condominiums.
In September 2023, the Mineola Board of Trustees approved an application for an eight-story, 119-unit building at 212 to 214 Third St. After planning the construction of the building for 11 months, the applicant decided that the building was a better candidate for condominiums. At the Aug. 14 village board meeting, the applicant pitched its reasoning for the new amendment, which will be voted on by the board on Sept. 4.
Adam Mann, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, said the project has evolved since the approval. The two major changes were the aesthetics of the building and the vast amenities that it will provide.
“Between the layouts, the amenities, the look of the building, this was going to be too nice for a rental building,” Mann said.
Mann said the original, proposed plan was “gorgeous” and what was approved was “not as gorgeous.” Now, the new proposed plan is a way to “soften what was originally proposed to go back to that gorgeous looking building.”
“We introduced the courtyard again to soften up the look of it,” Mann said. “We also set back the top floor to again make it not as grand, not as massive as it did initially.”
The new amenities include a lounge area with staff 24/7; a business center at the south side of the lobby with a conference room and private offices that residents can rent; a fitness area in the second and third floor with a gym, locker rooms, a yoga room, massage room, sauna and steam room; and an outdoor courtyard.
“The rooftop is shaping out to be spectacular,” Mann said. “It’ll have an outdoor pool, lounge chairs, a barbecue, a bar area, cabanas. Then inside you’ll have a lounge, catered kitchen, dining room, children’s playroom, wine lockers.”
The new proposal drops the number of units to 112 from 119. The event space will be 10,000 feet, which is two stories high instead of the proposed one story. Also, the building shrunk from 197,000 square feet to about 195,000 square feet.
“The building is certainly not bigger and it actually has this appearance that it is smaller because of that setback with the courtyard, which allows more light to come in,” Mann said.
Mann said this building will be at the forefront in Nassau County for luxury residential for sale products. He said there isn’t a huge market for these luxurious apartments, which is another reason why he wants to make the building condominiums instead of rentals.
“You have a large condominium stock that was built in Nassau County in the ’60s and ’70s and probably into the 80s and then it just stopped,” Mann said.
Mann said the applicant realized it could create condos at a much more affordable price. He said an owner of one of these condos can be someone who lives in Garden City who can downsize at an “aggressive price point.”
“The owners can potentially put some money in their pocket, come live here, and be at the train station, have amenities galore, and just get out from the suburban living,” Mann said.
Mann said “empty nesters” who don’t want to rent may also be interested in these condos. Also, young professionals — some with kids — can be among the buyers.
Another difference is a downsize from 84 one-bedrooms to now 67. Also, it adds a few more three-bedroom condos, which Mann said may include school-aged children.
“Even if they were to get a dozen school-aged children, they would still reap the tax benefits well beyond that,” Paul Pereia, mayor of Mineola, said. “So I like the project, I like the look of it, I like the change to condominium.”
Janine Sartori, deputy mayor of Mineola, said this change to condos will diversify the housing portfolio in the village. She said there will now be something for everybody in the village.
“For me, this is a home run because it means it’s owner occupied, it’s full taxation and we’re giving people another choice,” Pereia said.
Mann said the applicant is looking to start breaking ground in the spring of 2025.