MARKET INSIGHTS · LOCAL TRENDS · FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Before We Begin
Prior to getting into this month's market activity, I want to take a moment to acknowledge a meaningful loss to the Long Island real estate community.
This month, the Long Island commercial real estate community lost one of its true pioneers — Wilbur Breslin passed away at the age of 99.
For those of us who work in this industry, it's hard to overstate Wilbur's impact. As the founder of Breslin Realty Development, his fingerprints are on shopping centers, mixed-use developments, and retail corridors across nearly every village on Long Island. He's widely credited with bringing close to 80 percent of the nation's leading retail brands to this region — a legacy that quite literally shaped how Long Islanders shop, gather, and live.
I never had the chance to meet Wilbur, but I read his memoir last fall and it left a real impression on me. As a young broker, the way he built his career — patient, disciplined, and committed to his community — is the kind of legacy I aspire to build my own career around. His passing is a real loss, and his standard is one worth truly remembering.
Now, Onto the Market
April delivered a clear continuation of the themes shaping Long Island's commercial market in 2026 — disciplined private capital flowing into housing and mixed-use development, with municipalities, developers, and institutional players all leaning into transit-oriented and apartment growth as the long-term answer to the region's structural housing shortage. From Hempstead to Baldwin to East Patchogue, the month was defined by ground-up multifamily projects either advancing through the pipeline or formally opening their doors.
Mixed-Use Development
The owners of Long Island Bagel Café are advancing a $20.8 million, 58-unit apartment development in Baldwin to replace their former café on Grand Avenue. The project includes 49 one-bedroom and 9 two-bedroom units, supported by a 20-year PILOT through the Town of Hempstead IDA along with sales and mortgage recording tax exemptions.
Multi-Family Activity
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation broke ground this month on Veterans Village — a 42-unit affordable housing complex at 3915 Austin Boulevard in Island Park, on the site of the long-vacant former Long Beach Motor Inn. Nassau County donated the property to Tunnel to Towers. Construction is expected to wrap by the end of 2027 with a grand opening targeted for 2028.
Greybarn Patchogue Opens
Rechler Equity Partners opened Greybarn Patchogue this month with a ribbon-cutting on the site of the former Mediterranean Manor catering hall. The $46.7 million, 91-unit three-story luxury rental development features 46 one-bedroom and 45 two-bedroom units, with amenities that include a resident lounge, community kitchen, billiards area, cinema room, fitness center, private workspaces, a podcast studio, golf simulator, and dedicated package and storage areas. The complex also features outdoor grilling stations, swimming pools, bark parks, a community garden, fire pits and electric vehicle charging stations.
Multi-Family · Hempstead
Developer Rashid Walker's First Street Companies secured final approvals on a 246-unit, $125 million transit-oriented apartment project at 257 Main Street in Hempstead — seven minutes on foot from the Hempstead LIRR station. The Town of Hempstead IDA approved 25 years of tax relief last month.
Industrial · Freeport
North Village Realty has been retained as the exclusive broker for 27 Hanse Avenue, Freeport, NY — a 6,160 SF industrial/flex building offered for sale on a 13,000 SF site with two units. The property is well suited for an owner-user looking to occupy one side and lease the other or a user wanting full-building control. Reach out directly for additional information.
Thinking About a Sale?
North Village Realty specializes in representing commercial property owners on Long Island’s South Shore. If you are weighing a sale in the next year or two, the conversation is worth having early.
Request a Property Review ↗ Call (516) 255-4300
April 2026 newsletter archive. Property availability, development plans, and market conditions reflect this edition and may have changed.