The village board in Mineola recently approved the application for the construction of a four-story mixed-use building that is located at 86-88 Main St., which would involve retail space on the first floor with residential apartment units above.
The project, which is spearheaded by Freeport-based Zambrano Architectural Design, will raze the vacant Buccelli Uomo at 86 Main St., combining it with the vacant lot at 88 Main St. The board held public hearings about the mixed-use building on Nov. 9, 2018 and on Jan. 9.
Despite initial concerns from the board during the first public hearing, the board seemed more approving with the overall changes that were made by the architectural design firm the second time around.
According to the village, the building project was contemplated by the village’s draft of its master plan and will contribute to the vibrancy and the economic stability of the village’s downtown area and its transit-oriented development, qualifying the mixed-use building as a smart growth component of the village’s downtown revitalization.
In return, tenants who will live in the building will be restricted from obtaining commuter parking passes while streetscape improvements in and around Main Street will also be provided.
At the Jan. 9, public hearing, deputy mayor Paul Pereira said that the building does not have any Industrial Development Agency (IDA) or payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) incentives—increasing the village’s tax base and bringing more money into the village and schools with zero impact to the school district.
The building did see some pushback from local business owners including Bob Fox, who owns the women’s clothing store Fox’s, whose main concern was the limited parking in the downtown area.
“It’s not the development that’s going to cripple us,” said Fox earlier this year. “What we need…is the additional parking. That has to come first and without it, we’re done.”
Trustee Paul Cusato said that he loves the way the building looks after its design was further tweaked after previous board comments.
“Maybe down the road, this may be the future of Main Street,” said Cusato. “Maybe this can be expanded to other buildings. I know we have some parking issues, but why not? We have an empty lot and a vacant building. Why not develop it and make Main Street a vibrant area?”
