Changes sought in plans for Gabreski site

The developer of a proposed $43-million business development district near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton has requested changes in its plans, including an increase in the size of a planned hotel, Southampton Town records show.

Rechler Equity Partners, of Melville, wants to build a three-story hotel — instead of the previously approved two-story structure — on the 49.7 acre site. Rechler also proposes to clear 2.7 acres of pine and oak woods, leaving 1.2 acres of undeveloped woodland.

Southampton Town records show Rechler has filed a request for  "a maximum building height of three stories (43 feet) above finished grade as compared with the currently allowed two-story (35-foot) height above existing grade." The hotel would have 145 rooms.

County, town and development officials plan to gather at the site Friday to mark the completion of some infrastructure elements, including sewers and curbs. The county's name for the project is the Hampton Business District at Gabreski.

County Executive Steve Levy says the resulting development will be a "campus-like hub with elements including film production, biotech, small business incubators, and manufacturing and research and development operations across 433,000 square feet of space."

According to the town records, the project would result in 29.4 acres of paved surfaces and buildings, and 19.1 acres of lawn, leaving 1.2 acres of undeveloped pine and oak woods.

The current surface area is 21.1 acres of paved and building surface, 24.1 acres of lawn, and 3.9 acres of woods "in a natural condition".

Construction is expected take about three years, with about half the project completed by January 2013 and the rest by June 2014.

Rechler estimated, in its Environmental Assessment Plan filed with the town, that 100 to 200 customers or visitors would visit each day and 800 people would work there. The project includes 1,510 parking spaces.

Construction will bring 90 jobs, and the resulting development will employ about 800, Rechler said.

It will cost about $43 million to build.

Plans are for the 49.7 acres to include mixed office and industrial park, with 137,240 square feet of office space, 219,535 acres of industrial space and a 73,685 square foot hotel with 145 rooms.

The photo above locates the site of the original proposal in relation to the rest of the airport. although the current plan calls for a slightly smaller footprint.

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