AvalonBay Elicits Public Feedback
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

Garden City residents take note: If you haven't heard about AvalonBay Communities yet, you soon will, as the developer makes a concerted effort to reach out to the public to inform and listen to concerns regarding the historic Main Building at St. Paul's.

"We really think we have an opportunity to create a special residence here in Garden City," said Matthew Whalen, AvalonBay's vice president of development.

AvalonBay is a publicly traded, national equity Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that acquires, develops or redevelops, and manages high-end apartment communities. They are headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia and have 10 regional offices across the country. The Long Island office, located in Melville, oversees AvalonBay developments in Long Beach, Smithtown, Glen Cove, Melville and Coram.

The communities generally attract affluent young couples and empty nesters: 45 percent of residents are under the age of 35, and 25 percent are over the age of 55. There are very few children, so local school districts are minimally affected.

Whalen, who is also a Garden City resident, has started reaching out to community groups, including the property owners' associations, Garden City Chamber of Commerce and Committee to Save St. Paul's. On December 7th he met with the local press.

It has been more than two months since the Garden City Board of Trustees ratified the decision made by the Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's to designate AvalonBay Communities, Inc. as the exclusive developer of the St. Paul's property. Since that time, the Village and developer have been busy working on a memorandum of understanding, which, although not legally binding, will detail expectations on both sides.

The number of rental apartments is one of the major details yet to be determined. The Board of Trustees' designation was made based upon an AvalonBay proposal which calls for the conversion of the historic Main Building site into 99 luxury rental apartments. A dual-level parking structure with stalls above and below grade is also included in their proposal.

Village expectations that Whalen says AvalonBay will meet include Village ownership of the land and the historic preservation of St. Paul's with a corporate guarantee of construction. Whalen explained that the guarantee ensures that they will not abandon the project at any point, no matter how many unforeseen obstacles are encountered.

The risks that Whalen already foresees are quite formidable and cover seemingly all aspects of the project, including design, construction, financing and actual operating. Whalen said AvalonBay has carefully examined these risks and still remain excited about the opportunity. Once completed, this project will be considered a special long-term asset in their portfolio, he said.

One of the biggest and initial obstacles the developer will face is obtaining the necessary Home Rule legislation and relief from Parkland designation from state legislators. Senator Kemp Hannon has emphasized that he will only go forward in Albany to secure the necessary Home Rule legislation and relief from Parkland designation if he sees widespread public support for one proposal. Without the legislation, the land can strictly be used for public purposes only.

The questions that still need to be answered include: how much new construction is necessary, and where should it be located? Also, what section of the building, and how much, should be designated as community space?

Deputy Mayor John Mauk, who serves as chairman of the Mayor's Committee on St. Paul's, has repeatedly said that new construction is necessary for the project to be financially viable. He acknowledged at the press briefing that the configuration and amount of square footage allotted to the public is still being determined. AvalonBay's proposal designated 12,600 square feet of building space, including the chapel and parts of the first and lower level floors of the west wing, for public use.

"It's not going to provide everything to everybody...that's not possible," he conceded. If discussions with AvalonBay do break down, it is likely the historic Main Building will be demolished.

Whalen said he has been pleased with public feedback so far. "I actually think that we are proposing something that's much closer to really what everybody wants than everybody thinks," he said. "I don't think this has to be as controversial as maybe everybody thinks."

A general meeting with the public is expected to be held after the holidays. A newsletter known as the "Village Facts," which will provide the public with an update on the issue, is currently at the printer and will be mailed to all residents within the next few weeks.