Nassau IDA postpones Superblock hearing amid power outages

Meeting rescheduled to Aug. 19

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The Nassau County agency that will decide on a proposal by Garden City developer Engel Burman to build hundreds of condos and apartments on Long Beach's oceanfront 'Superblock' has postponed until August 19 a public hearing on the project that was  scheduled for Thursday night. Also postponed was a hearing on the proposal planned for Friday. 

The Nassau Industrial Development Agency said the two hearings were postponed "due to the power outages" caused by Tropical  Storm Isaias, which crashed into Long Island earlier this week, knocking down power lines and trees and leaving hundreds of thousands without lights and other electrical and electronic equipment.

The two hearings were to be online. 

The IDA said a hearing will be held Aug. 19, from 3 pm to 5 pm, and that, on the same day, from 5:30 pm "to close of the hearing." That meeting will also be virtual.

The agency had been scheduled to hold a board meeting on the Engel Burman proposal Aug. 20. It said that the meeting will now be held Aug. 25 at 6:30 PM.

Engel Burman has proposed significant changes to its plan to build hundreds of condos and apartments on Long Beach's oceanfront in hopes of making it more palatable to the city council.

The developer has proposed that the Payment in Lieu of Taxes be cut to 25 years, instead of 30. Additionally, the developer has also proposed that 12 percent of the apartment units be set aside as affordable housing, up from 10 percent. 

The superblock project has been one of the most controversial in Long Beach in decades. 

Engel Burman, one of Long Island's largest developers, seeks to build 200 condos and 238 apartments, along with a 1,000 space parking garage and some 6,500 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The PILOT was to be $52 million under the original proposal.

Engel Burman has said it will not be able to proceed with the project if the IDA does not approve a PILOT.

A previous developer, iStar, said much the same when it proposed to build on the superblock in 2015. iStar wanted to build 522 apartments with a $129 million tax break. iStar's deal went sour after residents raised objections to it.