Suozzi Calls for Development of ‘Next Generation’ Housing in Garden City

-- Proposes More Than 100 Units on 11-Acre, County-Owned Site Near Roosevelt Field Mall

Garden City, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today proposed building more than 100 units of ‘Next Generation’ housing on 11.8 empty acres of county-owned property near Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City.

Suozzi’s plan calls for the county to solicit interest from private developers who would build a mixed-use development that would include affordably priced residential units that would appeal to young families currently priced out of many neighborhoods within Nassau County. Under the plan, the site would include both rental and privately-owned units.

In a letter to the Mayor of Garden City, Suozzi called on Village officials to work with the county to move the project forward. The site, east of Clinton Ave. and north of Stewart Ave., is currently zoned for commercial use. The Village of Garden City controls zoning for the county-owned site.

“We propose a model housing plan that will appeal toyoung people, the children of Garden City residents, who are starting out in their careers, empty nesters who no longer need large homes and for those who work in Garden City but cannot afford to live there,” said Suozzi.

“This high quality mixed income development will be a model for the county, the state and the nation. It will include affordable, next generation and market rate housing,” Suozzi added.

Today’s initiative is the latest in Suozzi’s on-going campaign to develop affordable housing throughout Nassau County. The county has so far played a role in the development of more than 1,500 units of affordable housing since Suozzi took office in 2001. The county currently has 500 units in production.

“We know all too well that housing prices in Nassau County are way out of reach for the young people and working families we need to keep and attract in order to remain vibrant and fiscally strong,” Suozzi said. “This empty parcel of county-owned land provides us with a golden opportunity to move in the right direction.”

The Nassau County Planning Commission has prepared a number of possible plans for the site, including one that includes 245 housing units and 548 parking spaces. Other possible scenarios include 99 housing units and 225 parking spaces. While the ultimate plan to the site may vary, Suozzi said he is committed to a development that will include at least 30 percent of affordable housing at the location.

“None of these plans is set in stone, and I welcome input from any interested parties,” Suozzi said. “The need is great, the time is right, and we’ve got the land ready and waiting. Let’s make it happen.”

The site, near public transportation and the county’s premier shopping mall, includes a recharge basin and is land locked. Properly designed residential units would not infringe upon the residential nature of other parts of Garden City, Suozzi said.