Construction will soon begin on The Plaza at Farmingdale.
“It’s going to be a destination at the train station in Farmingdale.”
That’s how Anthony Bartone described the construction project called The Plaza at Farmingdale that Bartone Properties is building along South Front Street at the intersection of Secatogue Avenue.
Construction is set to begin in May. Bartone, managing partner with Bartone Properties, is a lifelong Farmingdale resident and graduate of Farmingdale High School and is excited about what this project will mean for his hometown.
The project will bring retail stores and residential apartments to the area. The west side is being called Phase I with the east side, which is about one third the size, to be called Phase II. However both sides will be similar with retail shops on to be on the ground floor and luxury apartments above. According to Bartone, there will be 154 apartments and 19,400 square feet of retail space.
The apartments will have stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and tile bathrooms. There will be many amenities that are exclusive for residents including three courtyards with barbecues, two clubhouses, a fitness center, a business lounge, a theater/media room and on-site management, Bartone estimated that the rent for the apartments would start at about $2,000 per month, although 10 percent of the apartments would be as Bartone described, “workforce housing.”
“We’re trying to attract professionals who live and work in Manhattan,” said Bartone.
There is not a definitive commitment from any retail stores. However, Bartone said there has been interest from a coffee shop and a dry cleaner and the buildings are going to be set back from the curb to accommodate cafe style dining. Additionally, the apartment dwellers may make the short walk over to Main Street and help support many of the businesses in downtown Farmingdale. Bartone said that it is estimated that the projects will generate $1.7 million in discretionary spending on Main Street. However, there is more to the benefits of this project, Bartone says. He states that building the complex will create 178 construction jobs and 55 permanent jobs. Additionally, the first year amenity value is estimated to be $868,000, including permit fees and capital improvement projects, and the 10-year value is about $1.5 million.
Bartone says that his project could be the impetus for a revitalization of Farmingdale,
“You’re going to see that revitalization is infectious,” Bartone said.
Aesthetically, Bartone says that his construction will do a lot for Farmingdale. South Front Street will be widened to allow two-way traffic flow and curbside parking. The east side of Secatogue Avenue will have a small park. Drainage problems will be corrected. Perhaps, most importantly, an area that has become blighted with empty stores will now feature a new complex.
“We’re revitalizing a blighted and underused area of the village,” commented Bartone,
Bartone said it has taken six years to get to this point, something he called an “arduous project.” However, his concept is about to become a reality with construction beginning in May. It is anticipated that construction will be completed by the fall of 2014, giving Main Street business owners something to look forward to.
And if all goes as planned, Bartone says that he could take this concept to other places on Long Island, However, as a third-generation resident of Farmingdale, his hometown is where he wanted to begin.
“We would love to take this project and duplicate it at other railroad stations,” he said.
