MARKET INSIGHTS · LOCAL TRENDS · FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
August was defined by capital repositioning, new development plans, and the risks facing coastal property. A national grocer committed to a former Amazon Fresh location, a tornado struck an Atlantic Beach landmark, and multifamily proposals advanced across Long Island. Closer to home, a well-known Rockville Centre corner changed hands with renovation plans already taking shape.
North Village Represents Buyer in Chat Noir Corner Sale
Our office represented the buyer in the sale of 228 Merrick Road in Rockville Centre, at the corner of Merrick Road and South Village Avenue. The approximately 2,880 sq. ft. mixed-use retail and residential building previously housed CD Island and later Chat Noir, the village restaurant and tea house that operated for more than 15 years. Delivered vacant at closing to a local investor, the property is planned for a full renovation, including a new façade and exterior, shown in the rendering. North Village Realty is handling the leasing of approximately 1,350 sq. ft. of retail space, with delivery anticipated in 2027.
Whole Foods to Take Over Former Amazon Fresh in Oceanside
Whole Foods Market is headed to 3620 Long Beach Road in Oceanside, taking the approximately 47,300 sq. ft. space vacated by Amazon Fresh. Amazon has owned Whole Foods since 2017, making this a repositioning within the same corporate family. The change brings an established grocery banner to a prominent South Shore retail location. Amazon announced in January that it would convert select Fresh locations to Whole Foods while expanding that chain nationally. The property had been dark after Waldbaum’s closed in 2016, before Amazon Fresh opened in 2022.
Tornado Hits Sun & Surf in Atlantic Beach
An EF-1 tornado came ashore as a waterspout on the west end of Atlantic Beach on the evening of August 20, tearing through the Sun and Surf Beach Club with more than 100 guests on the property. Dozens of cabanas were damaged or destroyed, one worker was injured, and both Sun and Surf and neighboring Silver Point Beach Club closed temporarily. For South Shore owners, the damage is a reminder to review windstorm coverage, deductibles, and replacement-cost assumptions on coastal assets.
132 Senior Apartments Planned for Valley Stream Parking Lot
The Town of Hempstead IDA granted preliminary approval for tax benefits for The Alder at Valley Stream, a 132-unit senior apartment building planned for roughly 1.5 acres at the northwest corner of West Valley Stream Boulevard and Hicks Street. Benjamin Companies and BOSFA Properties agreed to buy the village-owned parking lot for $7 million. Plans call for 16 studios, 105 one-bedrooms and 11 two-bedrooms, with 112 parking spaces and 10 percent of units set aside as affordable. At the time of this edition, final IDA approval and a village zoning change were still required.
Gotham’s $100M Westbury Transit Project Goes to Public Hearing
The Village of Westbury opened its public hearing in August on Gotham Organization’s proposed $100 million mixed-use building on a closed MTA parking lot on Railroad Avenue. The five-story proposal covers 1.92 acres and includes 184 apartments, 15,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail, 254 parking spaces, and a public plaza, with 10 percent of apartments income-restricted. Structured as a 99-year ground lease with the MTA, it would be the agency’s first transit-oriented development on Long Island. The hearing was expected to continue on September 3 before a board vote, with roughly 20 months of construction anticipated after approvals.
Islip Adopts 18-Month Data Center Moratorium
The Islip Town Board adopted a moratorium on new data center development on August 11, with the pause running through February 28, 2028. It followed Brookhaven’s own pause in July. New York State also announced a temporary pause of up to one year on certain state environmental permits for new hyperscale data centers while it develops environmental and infrastructure standards. For industrial owners, the distinction between local zoning restrictions and state permitting matters. These measures can affect the timing and feasibility of data center proposals, and may change the potential buyer pool for large, power-served sites.
Thinking About a Sale?
North Village Realty specializes in representing commercial property owners on Long Island’s South Shore and across Nassau and Suffolk. If you are weighing a sale in the next year or two, the conversation is worth having early.
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August 2026 newsletter archive. Development plans and market conditions reflect the information in this edition and may change.