Former Long Beach Superblock is now homes, shops that are nearly fully occupied after decades-long building stall

Before ground broke in 2021 on a $360 million residential and commercial project in Long Beach, a 60-year stalemate had existed over proposals to redevelop the formerly vacant oceanfront property called the Superblock.

Decades of litigation and disputes between developers and Long Beach's elected officials had left the property vacant until it was sold in 2021 and a proposal was approved to turn the property into luxury housing and retail.

Less than two years since construction wrapped on the more than 1 million square feet of residential and commercial space, the final three spaces for business tenants are now spoken for and most of the high-end homes are occupied, said David Burman, principal at B2K Development, a Jericho-based developer formerly known as Engel Burman Group.

B2K developed the property with Harrison Street, a Chicago-based investment management firm.

The mixed-use project being nearly fully occupied by residents and businesses indicates the successful development of the Superblock, which is benefiting Long Beach, Burman said.

"All the parking's enclosed [on the] property, so there's no parking burden. There's big tax revenue, and this was dilapidated for 40 years. And now … we think it's beautiful," Burman said.

The 192 condos, priced between $875,000 and $4.5 million, are split between two nine-story towers called The Boardwalk, and 80% have been sold, he said.

The 238 apartments, with monthly rents ranging from $2,300 to $8,000, are in a 10-story tower called The Breeze and are 100% leased, he said.

The commercial portion of the complex is also fully leased to seven current or incoming tenants:

• A Playa Bowls franchisee recently signed a lease for 1,352 square feet for a shop, which will sell acai bowls, smoothies and juices. Playa Bowls, which is taking the last available commercial space in the development, will open in October, Burman said.
• Surf Haus Wellness, which offers body treatments, including acupuncture and sports massage, will open by the end of the summer.
• Hacienda Tulum, a high-end Mexican steakhouse, will open in mid-August, co-owner Nicolas Geeraerts said. A speakeasy, called Cemelle, will open in the rear of the restaurant in the fall.
• Next door, Geeraerts opened Tulum Taco Stand, a quick-service taco stand, about three weeks ago. His enterprises will occupy a total of about 7,000 square feet in the complex.
• The Fresh Beet, which was initially called Barrier Beets when it opened in July 2025, sells salads, toast with vegetable and fruit toppings, and other items in a 1,200-square-foot unit.
• YogaSix opened a 2,100-square-foot studio in July 2025.
• Mount Sinai South Nassau, a walk-in primary care center, opened in a 2,600-square-foot space in November 2024.

Geeraerts, who also co-owns Tulum Tacos & Tequila locations in Mineola and Baldwin, said opening eateries along the Long Beach boardwalk was an opportunity to bring something unique to the community.

“We’re bringing my background in fine dining and collaborating with the greatest chefs in the industry to the oceanfront on Long Beach,” he said.

The mixed-use development is on the 6½-acre lot between Long Beach and Riverside boulevards. The two condo towers share a lobby. The condo and apartment buildings were designed to offer "resort" amenities, including dog grooming rooms, children's playrooms, large gyms, saunas, coworking spaces, putting greens, swimming pools, fire pits and indoor and outdoor lounges, Burman said.

The development has 1,100 parking spaces under the residential buildings.

'We don't want this to become Manhattan'

The Long Beach Superblock property languished for decades as an eyesore in an overgrown concrete lot, fenced off from the boardwalk while plans remained stagnant.

A previous development proposal submitted to Long Beach officials in 2014 by Manhattan developer iStar called for a $350 million project to build two 15-story towers, including 522 oceanfront apartments and 11,000 square feet of ground-level retail space facing the boardwalk. The plan would have required variances for height and unit density.

Residents and board members of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency balked at the requested tax breaks of up to $129 million, which were also opposed by the Long Beach school district.

The Long Beach Zoning Board of Appeals rescinded iStar's building permit in 2018 after a residents lawsuit found developers failed to begin construction and obtain permits within the first year.

The city settled a $105 million lawsuit by iStar, which gave Engel Burman ownership of the property and a $2.5 million credit for building fees.

Engel Burman agreed to build the project to city code. The developer also received $49 million in tax breaks over 25 years under an agreement called a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, through the Nassau County IDA.

The project was also seen as a boon to Long Beach's struggling finances. At the time, officials said it was expected to draw $32 million in new tax revenue for the city and $75 million in taxes for the Long Beach school district.

Wall Street credit rating agency Moody's also upgraded the city's credit rating, citing the Superblock development, which Moody's said in 2023 would "drive the city's economy moving forward."

B2K's project adds more revenue to Long Beach's tax rolls than previous development proposals that asked for more tax breaks would have if any had been approved, Long Beach Manager Daniel Creighton said Wednesday.

The property taxes on the land in fiscal year 2022, when it was still vacant, were $343,660, said John McNally, spokesperson for the City of Long Beach.

In the fiscal year that ended last month, $1.7 million in property tax and PILOT payments were paid on the property, he said.

Creighton credited B2K for not seeking variances to allow it to build higher or larger buildings than allowed in the zoning code, adding that the city does not want overdevelopment.

"We don't want this to become Manhattan. We want this to stay the beautiful gem we have on the beach," he said.