Project of the Month: JPI/TDI Companies begins construction on $40 million transit oriented mixed-use project

JPI/TDI Companies, a national developer of class A multifamily housing, has begun construction on the $40 million Jefferson Plaza at Farmingdale Station construction project. The project, located at 148 South Front St., will create 154 apartments with secured parking and 20,000 s/f of retail space. When the opportunity arose for JPI/TDI to develop a project across the street from the MTA/Long Island Railroad's Farmingdale Station, they quickly responded to the opportunity. The project began with developer Anthony Bartone, who took the project through planning board approval with the architectural firm Canella Associates and the civil engineer Land Design. JPI/TDI continued the project development through design development, construction documents and now construction with PS&S (architecture, landscape architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and plumbing engineering), Cates Engineering (structural engineering) and Land Design (civil engineering). The development is located on two sites that straddle Secatogue Ave. south of the train station. Creating a "sense of place" while integrating the new construction with the diverse surrounding building styles and materials of the downtown area was the main challenge for the design and development team. Easy, inviting and direct pedestrian connection to the train station was a major goal. Dealing with vehicular access and parking needs posed particular challenges in maintaining the urban fabric while creating a walkable community. The project creates a viable community consisting of residential, retail, restaurant and dining, parking and a park for residents centered on providing good scale, multiple buildings and a walkable community. The proposed sites were small for a mixed-use development with 1.9 acres available at the western site and .65 acres available at the eastern site. Recent competing mixed-use developments in the tri-state area have provided both multifamily housing as well as retail development. Ample parking for residents is also a requirement to meet the town's zoning code as well as attract new residents. The following was required for the project: parking for 232 cars, outdoor gathering space for the residents, conveniently located amenity space, diverse retail space, a variety of apartment configurations, good natural lighting and easy circulation through the development and to the train station. The design positioned the buildings to maximize the small sites while at the same time providing direct connections to the train station. The exterior architecture of the buildings resonates with the architecture of the area blending stone and siding to complement other housing developments near the train station and also complying with the requirements of the town's zoning ordinance. The western building maximized the site by locating the parking below grade, providing a mix of apartments, amenity spaces and retail spaces on the first floor, apartments on the second and third floors and apartments integrated with the roof structure at the fourth floor. Resident needs met at the garage level include secure exit and entering, easy access to apartments through stairs and elevators, a recharging station for electric cars and a vacuum cleaning station for resident's cars. The first floor of the building has been designed to provide a wide range of retail tenant opportunities like a small food store, restaurant, dry cleaner and coffee house. Also located on the first floor are resident amenity spaces that include a club room, workout spaces, project room, and business office and resident storage compartments. The development business office is also centrally located at the first floor. Tastefully hidden within the development at the first floor are two exterior landscaped plazas that provide residents places to gather. Included at the plazas are barbeques, seating areas, dog walking areas and bicycle storage. The second floor contains a variety of apartment layouts and also contains storage rooms for residents. The third and fourth floors provide a mix of one and two bedroom apartments as well as one and two story units, the two story units having vaulted ceilings in the living rooms. The eastern building maximized the site by locating the parking at grade with the retail space but below the apartments located on the second and third floors. Residents can easily enter the building through a central lobby located directly across the street from the train station. The retail at the first floor of the building has been designed to provide a wide range of retail tenant opportunities like a restaurant, dry cleaner and coffee house. Tastefully hidden within the development at the second floor is an exterior landscaped plaza that provides residents places to gather. Included at the plazas are BBQs and seating areas. The second and third floors provide a mix of one and two bedroom apartments in a variety of configurations. The groundbreaking ceremony was held this past November and was well attended by many local leaders including mayor Ralph Ekstrand, village trustees, representatives from the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency and representatives from county executive Ed Mangano's office. "Despite the brutal winter, our construction has continued apace and we remain on schedule for an initial opening at the end of this year," said Greg Belew, executive VP for JPI/TDI. The project was granted an award for "Smart Growth Development of the Year" by the Long Island Business News. Belew said that the project is already garnering strong interest from retailers interested in being adjacent to the train station. "We have had a number of potential tenants express interest including gourmet food stores, restaurants, fitness facilities, and banks," said Belew. "In addition, without any advertising for the project, we have already received a substantial amount of calls from potential residents and have begun compiling a lengthy list of those interested in renting when the property opens." TDI is actively pursuing other transit oriented development sites in the region. TDI, an institutional developer of multifamily properties, currently has over 2,200 units under construction in Arizona, New York and Texas and has asset management responsibilities for a portfolio of almost 5,000 units nationwide. In addition, TDI has plans to develop an additional 2,000 units over the next 12 months in projects that are in various stages of planning and predevelopment and is currently raising capital to complement their venture platforms in order to fund their expansion and business plan. TDI's northeast regional office, located in Irvington, NY, is focused predominantly on urban infill; transit oriented, and mixed use development opportunities. TDI takes environmental stewardship seriously and is committed to sustainable development practices. To learn more about TDI, please visit www.JPI.com Jefferson Plaza at Farmingdale Station Project Team: * JPI/TDI Companies: Developer & General Contractor * Cates Engineering: Structural Engineer * Land Design: Civil Engineer * Canella Associates: Design Architect * PS & S Engineering: Architect of Record/MEP Engineer * Premier Compaction Systems: Waste Management Consultant * United Window & Door: Window Supplier * Tyco Integrated Security, LLC: Integrated Security Systems * Right Temp Mechanical: HVAC * MT Group: Special Inspections & Materials Testing