MARKET INSIGHTS · LOCAL TRENDS · FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
May reinforced what's quickly becoming the defining theme of 2026 on Long Island — sustained development momentum across hospitality, transit-oriented housing, and community-driven projects. Municipalities continued approving new product, state-level grants poured meaningful capital into downtown revitalization, and one of the most recognizable national brands committed to its first Long Island location. From Rockville Centre to Hicksville to Elmont, the pipeline keeps building.
Hilton coming to Rockville Centre
Long Island will soon welcome its first "Tru by Hilton" hotel — a 63-suite, 29,000 SF midscale hotel approved for development at 150 Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. The $18.6 million project, being developed by Freeport-based Ellis Abramson, will be built on a half-acre triangular site formerly occupied by a La-Z-Boy furniture store. The Hempstead IDA preliminarily approved an incentives package to advance the project, which is expected to create 25 full-time jobs and 40 construction jobs. Located minutes from the Rockville Centre LIRR station and targeting travelers connecting through JFK, the hotel addresses what local officials have described as strong South Shore demand against insufficient supply.
Transit-Oriented Development · Hicksville
The Town of Oyster Bay approved a new $61M transit-oriented development project in downtown Hicksville this month, the latest in a series of TOD approvals reshaping one of Long Island's busiest LIRR-adjacent downtowns. This is another project being spearheaded by Anthony Bartone from Terwilliger & Bartone Properties. Hicksville continues to function as a proving ground for the kind of high-density, rail-accessible product that municipalities across Nassau and Suffolk are increasingly embracing as the long-term answer to the region's housing shortage. With each new approval, the broader market is reinforcing that walkable, transit-connected multifamily is where institutional capital is committing for the foreseeable future.
Downtown Revitalization · Valley Stream
Valley Stream was awarded a $10 million New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant this month — among the largest downtown development awards in Nassau County this cycle. Patchogue separately secured $4.5 million through the same program. For Valley Stream specifically, this kind of state-level investment typically catalyzes meaningful private development, infrastructure upgrades, and streetscape improvements over a multi-year window. For property owners along the village's primary commercial corridors, grants of this scale hopefully translate into measurable long term property value appreciation as the surrounding district is upgraded.
Community Use · Elmont
The YMCA of Long Island will build a new Elmont community center as part of the broader Belmont Park redevelopment — a meaningful addition to one of the most transformative mixed-use projects in Nassau County. The community center adds an institutional, long-term anchor to the Belmont site and reinforces the trend of community-focused real estate playing a larger role in major development plans across the Island.
New Exclusive Baldwin Bowling Alley
2407 Grand Avenue, Baldwin — A 21,892 SF freestanding commercial building on over half an acre in the heart of Baldwin's newly adopted Transit-Oriented Development district. Currently home to the Baldwin Bowling Alley and to be delivered fully vacant at closing, the property holds an existing Certificate of Occupancy for 300 people — a rare configuration ideal for catering halls, event spaces, religious congregations, or other large-format end-users. Situated directly between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway, attached to municipal parking, and within walking distance of the Baldwin LIRR station.
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.
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May 2026 newsletter archive. Property availability, development plans, and market conditions reflect this edition and may have changed.