NYC developer prepares application for $100 million mixed-use housing project near Westbury LIRR station

Developers behind a planned $100 million mixed use, transit-oriented housing project next to the Westbury LIRR station said they are preparing to file applications with the village.

Gotham Organization, a Manhattan-based commercial real estate developer and property owner, was selected earlier this year by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to design and build a transit-oriented development at the site of a former Authority-owned parking lot, according to MTA documents. Officials with the MTA did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

The project calls for the development of a five-story, 157-unit mixed-use residential building with 10% of its units set aside for "income-restricted housing," and 15,000 square feet of retail space, according to MTA Finance Committee documents and Gotham. Additional amenities include a "beautified streetscape," public plaza, resident lounge and co-working space, fitness center, roof terrace with barbecue grills and a multisport simulator, Gotham told Newsday.

The developer said it is now preparing to submit the necessary applications to the Village of Westbury and expect to begin the 20-month construction process at the site in 2027.

"As the MTA’s designated developer, we’re transforming an underutilized site into high-quality homes — including units reserved for moderate-income families — alongside new retail, improved streetscapes, and a public plaza that enhances access to the Westbury LIRR station," Bryan Kelly, president of development at Gotham said in a statement issued to Newsday.

The agreement with the MTA gives Gotham a 99-year lease on the property and requires the company to pay a base rent of $500,000 a year, which increases 12.5% every five years, according to the MTA.

"This development not only expands much-needed housing options but also demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships to deliver long-term community benefits," Kelly said. "We look forward to working closely with the Village of Westbury as the project progresses."

Village Mayor Peter I. Cavallaro said while he could not discuss details on the proposed project as an application has yet to be received, he said the site’s current zoning would allow for mixed-use, multifamily housing developments.

"Our Village and our board, we made policy decisions that we enacted to uplift the area around the train station," Cavallaro said, adding, "this kind of project is consistent with what our goals are."

"This particular piece of poetry, which is adjacent to the train station, is arguably the most suitable for [transit-oriented development]," Cavallaro said.

The proposed Westbury MTA project has been in the works for several years.

In 2022, the MTA had selected Mill Creek Residential, a Boca Raton, Florida-based multifamily residential developer after a request for proposal to build out the site, but those proposals never came to fruition. In May of last year, the Authority reissued an RFP for the project site, according to MTA documents.