The Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency Tuesday gave preliminary approval for economic incentives for a housing project in Floral Park at the former site of Centennial Hall.

Friedman Group, LLC, is set to build a $10.9 million, 30,512-square-foot, 24-unit apartment building at the corner of Carnation and Tulip avenues. 

The Floral Park Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance request by Centennial Holdings, owner of the former Centennial Hall to construct 24 rental apartment units in July.

The decision eliminated three studio apartments of 503 square feet each from Centennial Holdings’ original variance request of 27 units. Along with eliminating three units, six parking spaces were removed from the original request of 54, now making it 48, two for each unit.

The Friedman Group purchased Centennial Hall, the 20,921-square-foot area that sits on the southeastern intersection of Tulip and Carnation avenues, from the village in July 2018 for $1.2 million.

The purchase was part of a contract that would preserve the facade of the former Masonic temple and restrict it to residential uses only for 30 years.

The contract at the time called for 18 units in the 8,500-square-foot building and a triangular private park for building residents at the corner of Carnation and Tulip avenues. As part of the contract, Centennial Hall will maintain its facade, the recognizable Greek Revival-tyle, four-column front of the building.

The Hempstead IDA also gave preliminary approval for economic incentives for another Friedman project in Woodmere and final approval to Jamaica West Holdings, LLC for a project in Valley Stream.

Hempstead IDA CEO Frederick Parola said the projects will help address Hempstead’s housing shortage.

“Our town is in dire need of quality rental housing and these projects, while not large, will contribute to the availability of rental housing for those who cannot afford to buy homes in the town,” Parola said in a statement. “Our housing shortage is forcing residents to move away from Long Island.”