Million-dollar homes rising on Hempstead Ave.

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An acre and a half of property at 764 Hempstead Ave. in West Hempstead was purchased by “Theodore Gaeta and wife” in 1948, according to county records, and their house had stood on it for nearly 70 years.

But in 2014, the property was sold to Philips International, a development company, and Paramount Construction for $1.4 million, and the house was torn down. After the owners spent three years seeking the necessary permits, one property became eight, and construction is now under way on eight luxury colonial-style homes, whose prices will start at $925,000.

According to Sharona Beck, a West Hempstead real estate broker who is handling the sale of the homes, Philips and Paramount put the properties up for sale in March. Two of the homes are already in the negotiation stage and a third one will be soon, Beck said.

Calls to Paramount Construction requesting comment had not been returned at press time.

Along with the new homes will come new infrastructure. “New sewer lines, gas lines, water mains — it’s a huge process,” Beck said, adding that the properties’ electrical lines will be buried instead of hung from poles. “That is very unusual for West Hempstead,” she said.

Five homes are under construction on a newly constructed cul de sac called Paramount Court. The other three will be built on Hempstead Avenue. Some of them will have four bedrooms, and others, five, and they range in size from 2,500 to 3,600 square feet, on lots ranging from 5,600 to 9,900 square feet.

The exteriors will be partially constructed in stone, and some will have front porches. All will have attached garages, eat-in kitchens, great rooms with fireplaces and full basements with 9-foot ceilings.

Becker said that Philips International and Paramount Construction initially wanted to build a 55-and-older community on the property, but were denied by the Town of Hempstead. Instead they were eventually permitted to subdivide the lot.

“It’s very hard to find a colonial in West Hempstead,” said Beck, who has worked in real estate in West Hempstead for 29 years. “The most popular style is a cape, and people are constantly calling me for colonials. This block will be sought after because it’s on a cul de sac.”

According to Zillow.com, the median price of a West Hempstead home is $467,800, 11 percent more than a year ago, and it is predicted to rise another 4.8 percent in the next year.

The website describes the real estate market in West Hempstead as “hot,” and Beck agrees. “I’m so busy, I don’t get out much,” she said.