St. Michael's retirement home to move to Uniondale as part of $75M expansion; 65 jobs to be created

A retirement home serving the Greek Orthodox community is moving to Uniondale from Yonkers, increasing its space and levels of care as part of a $75.2 million project.

St. Michael’s Home Inc. has completed exterior renovations to a 112,000-square-building on Front Street that for more than 20 years was St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, a high school run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre. St. Pius alumni include Fox News host Sean Hannity.

St. Michael’s purchased the 11-acre property for $7 million in 2014 and since 2021 construction has been ongoing.

Private donations covered $55 million of the cost, and on Monday, Nassau County agreed to provide $20.2 million in tax-exempt and taxable bonds.

St. Michael’s is eligible for help from the county’s Local Economic Assistance Corp. because the retirement home is a nonprofit and operates under the aegis of a religious institution, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, according to corporation officials.

They said on Thursday that the amount of savings from the tax-exempt bonds won't be known until the bonds are sold to investors.

Haeda Mihaltses, president of St. Michael’s, wrote in the aid application: “Without the financial assistance …[ the retirement home] faces great uncertainty on whether it can complete the project. Further, because of the significant increases in the costs of construction, labor, materials, furnishings and equipment necessary to operate the new facility, [St. Michael’s] requires the assistance and lower cost of financing available through the use of tax-exempt bonds.”

Mihaltses, who also serves on the MTA Board, said all that remains to be done to finish the new location is interior construction.

St. Michael's needs more space to offer services beyond the independent living apartments it has provided in Yonkers for nearly 70 years. The Uniondale location is slated to have dementia care, hospice care and assisted living, along with independent living units, she said.

Dean Mihaltses, a member of the St. Michael’s board of directors, said in an interview on Monday, “There’s a need for these increased services.”

The home's relocation from Yonkers would increase the number of residents from 60 to 150. Current residents are expected to move to Uniondale, William Cornachio, St. Michael’s real estate attorney, told Monday's meeting of the local assistance corporation.

The corporation board voted unanimously to authorize the issuing of $20 million in tax-exempt bonds, $200,000 in taxable bonds and up to $210,000 off the mortgage recording tax.

In return for the help, St. Michael’s has promised to create 65 jobs within three years. The positions would pay $59,338 per year, on average. The home now has 18 employees, according to the application.

Among the new facility’s amenities would be a Greek Orthodox chapel, gym, physical therapy room, beauty salon and coffee shop. 

St. Michael’s was founded by Archbishop Michael to care for the first generation of Greek immigrants, what he called “the pioneers.”

When St. Michael's opened on May 25, 1958, in a former Jewish nursing home on Lehman Terrace in Yonkers, it was called “Spiti Tou Protoporou” or “Home of the Pioneers.” The facility was the first of its kind in the country, according to an official history.

As Nassau’s population ages, there is a great need for “reputable, proven organizations” like St. Michael’s to offer living spaces and care for seniors, said William Rockensies, chairman of the local assistance corporation, which supports nonprofit educational and health care institutions. 

He said on Wednesday that St. Michael’s “will provide Nassau’s elderly population a new opportunity to age with dignity along with the supportive services they need to do so.”

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.