Sun Valley expected to open this summer

The Sun Valley Towers building is expected to open this summer, after alarm system inspections and a change in kitchen construction plans pushed the anticipated opening date back several months later than expected, according to the Valley Stream Building Department and the developer. The building’s first tenant, Blink Fitness, opened on March 12.

Buildings Superintendent Tom McAleer said that interior design changes were the primary reason that the unit rentals have been delayed. “They did come back with some changes,” he said of the developer, Alma Realty Corp. “They had changes to interiors in the kitchen areas. That set them back.”

The developer said in May that they expected to begin renting by September, but cautioned that they couldn’t provide a firm date. The timeline was pushed back after they proposed slight changes to the units’ kitchen areas.

“They had to re-do every one of their kitchens,” McAleer said. “They had to submit new plans and those had to be approved.”

Several aesthetic modifications were made to the exterior of the building, and a tennis court on the roof is now visible from the ground. There are plans to add a rooftop garden and patio area. Chris Giovanis, the project manager for the building, said that landscaping would be added to create something of a mini-park, which he called a green roof. A small solar farm would generate 25 kilowatts of energy to feed the building’s common areas, including the elevators, which he said consume a lot of energy.

The rental process cannot begin until construction is completed, which is expected to be “very soon,” according to Giovanis. He said the building would begin taking rental applications in April once a local realtor sets up an office inside the building. Once applications are filed, Giovanis said, there is typically a one- to two-month window when tenants can begin moving in.

“It’s a timely process,” Giovanis said. “You’ve got to go through all the proper channels. It’s not an overnight thing.”

Giovanis said in addition to kitchen modifications, the sprinkler systems and fire alarms needed to be inspected by the Nassau County Fire Marshal, which also caused some delays. “Deadlines are something we focus on,” he said, but the building’s safety is the priority. Blink Fitness, located on the ground floor of the building, held its grand opening on March 12. Construction of the gym took as long as it did because the floor plan had to be redone, having originally been designed for multiple retail locations, McAleer said. The 15,000-square-foot gym required an entirely different plan, as well as installation of plumbing for bathrooms and showers.

“We’re very excited to be reaching completion of the project,” Giovanis said. “And it’s very near. It’s very close.”