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Dutch Gate developers may seek to lower minimum age
The 62-and-over senior housing complex being built on Dutch Broadway in North Valley Stream — Dutch Gate — still has a ways to go before all of its 14 buildings are completed. Phase I, which consists of four buildings, is halfway done and owners are beginning to move in, development officials say.
The project is located on the site of the former Salvation Army Wayside School for Girls. Once the community is complete, it will have 388 two-bedroom, two-bathroom units, selling for around $249,000. Donna Paccione, a sales associate for Dutch Gate, said 40 units have already been sold, but the entire complex will probably not be finished for another two years. “Right now, we’re working on Phase I,” Paccione said. “That entails about 136 units. We have two buildings complete and one under construction.”
Lori Thomas, sales director for Dutch Gate, said there are 44 units between the two completed buildings and people have moved in to 14 of those. She expects a total of 35 units to be occupied within the next few months.
About 14 months ago, the complex’s developers, Broadval LLC, asked the Town of Hempstead to lower the minimum age from 62 to 55 because it wanted to broaden the pool of eligible applicants in a faltering housing market. Developers said they could add about 90,000 more potential buyers if the age limit was reduced.
Their request was denied, but Paccione said the developers want to revisit the idea of lowering the age limit to 55. “I don’t think it hurt sales,” Paccione said of their request being denied. “But we have quite a few under 62 that are interested. We have a waiting list of about 100 people who want in. [The developers] want to get on the calendar as far as bringing this to the town.”
Paccione noted that there isn’t a waiting list for people 62 and over.
Town Councilman Ed Ambrosino said that even though he was originally opposed to lowering the age limit from 62 to 55, he is willing to work with the developers to reach a compromise. “We need to roll up our sleeves and work with them,” Ambrosino said. “I don’t know if lowering the age limit is in the best interest of the community, but maybe we can work out a hybrid.”
