Community Corner

AvalonBay Complex Opens in E. Garden City

The new development offers apartments, townhouses and single-family homes.

"Avalon Garden City" officially opened on the site of the former Mitchel Field in E. Garden City.

The new development offers three types of housing: apartments, townhouses and single-family homes.

Avalon officials say they've been careful to honor the history of the site with a "beautiful mini museum photo display of the history of Mitchel Field in the lounge and leasing office, following through on the theme in the community room where airline parts create the bar and coffee table."

“With private homes, town houses and rental apartments, the AvalonBay development along Stewart Avenue offer residential choices and style preferences for community residents," Hempstead Town supervisor Kate Murray said. “Our township encourages progressive developments, both residential and corporate, that compliment the suburban character of our region. With its professional standards and state-of-the-art construction, AvalonBay is a great fit for our Hempstead Town lifestyle.”

Garden City resident Matt Whalen, senior vice president of AvalonBay Communities Long Island, added, “AvalonBay is extremely proud of our most recent development. It has been a pleasure working with the Town of Hempstead, who had the foresight to recognize the need for diverse housing types. As we provide housing that appeals to young professionals and young couples, at the same time the housing options also appeal to the 'baby boom generation' who are looking for alternative housing options from their single family homes."

AvalonBay, partnering with the town and county, had to create eight homes for the "Homes for Our Veterans" program as part of the development deal. Last October, the Nassau Legislature approved the sale of a county road to AvalonBay for the veterans' housing development.

The existing "General's Row" officer houses are being renovated to ensure their preservation. The homes were built for officers serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

AvalonBay also agreed to donate 20-plus acres of land to Nassau Community College (NCC) and Nassau County as part of the deal.

Chuck Cutolo, director of governmental affairs at NCC, told Patch earlier this year that the college hopes to enhance the course offerings of the Hospitality/Business Department in order to give its students a more realistic learning environment and provide a facility to improve outreach and education efforts to the business community and its employees with the 13 acres it would receive.

A fire broke out during construction of the complex in April when a worker accidentally started the fire, which engulfed one entire apartment building and its 15 partially constructed units. Whalen said the quick efforts of local fire departments, including Uniondale and Garden City, who provided mutual aid, confined the blaze to that single building.

Rent for a one-bedroom at the new complex starts at $2,495 while three-bedroom units start at more than $3,500. Click here to view a photo gallery of the complex.

AvalonBay also has developments in Rockville Centre, Long Beach, Glen Cove, Melville, Coram and Smithtown.


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