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Business & Tech

'Meadow Commons' Construction Progressing

New commercial development could be finished in a few months if weather holds up.

East Meadow Avenue will soon of seven new stores, thanks to the much-discussed “Meadow Commons” project.

Situated on the property that once housed the Crystalbrook catering facility, the new construction will include seven commercial spaces that will be leased. Six of the units will be around 1,000 square feet each, with the seventh having slightly more room.

Meadow Commons owner Saeed Ahmed said that the construction at the site is “moving very well.” If the weather continues to cooperate – meaning the snow stays away – the units could be finished in two to three months, he said.

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“If we start to get snow it is going to delay it a little bit,” Ahmed added.

The following are a list of variances for that have been applied for:

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  • Variance with conditions to construct a one-story masonry retail building and site improvements per the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
  • Variance with conditions to install dumpster enclosure per BZA grant.
  • Variance with conditions for off-street parking and an front yard setback per BZA grant. 
  • Variance with conditions to install a six-foot fence per BZA grant.
  • Install Pylon Sign.

Ahmed explained that thus far, the construction crew has put walls up, started to work on the plumbing and put in the decking for the roof, but not the roof itself yet. They are currently working on the fence that will separate the property from the residential area located behind the stores.

He said that this is a step-by-step process and that when the roof is finished the crew can move onto the separation and perimeter walls. The builders are also waiting for the water line to come into the building.

“Everything is related with the other,” he continued. “Everything has to be done step-by-step.”

On Dec. 23, on the property while working, causing eight homes to be evacuated in the area. Nobody was injured, but Ahmed said that the incident set the crew back two to three days.

He said that they were working on the back of the property and the “gas line had the wrong marking.”

“The neighbor’s gas line is supposed to be on their property, not on my property. They will come back and rerun the line on the right property,” he said in regards to National Grid coming to rectify the situation.

The Meadow Commons project had been a topic of debate at because of initially proposed combined use of the property, which could have included residential apartments above the storefronts. After the community gave their input on the issue, Ahmed decided to .

Ahmed also owns Crystalbrook’s former parking lot, which is located across the street from the Meadow Commons. He said, “right now it will stay like this but eventually I have to do something with it.”

He plans to start advertising the units once the construction is 75 percent done, so prospective tenants can actually get a feel of the space. Ahmed said that he will advertise with a directory sign in the window and might also “give it to some of the brokers.” Right now, he has no tenants and has not set the leasing price.

When the construction is finished, Ahmed said the stores will be a solid addition to shopping on the East Meadow Avenue corridor. Tenants should be attracted to the shopping center because it will be a “nice looking shopping center with parking on the premise, which is a huge deal,” he said.

“I think the size of the store is very reasonable – not too small and not too big,” he added. “It also has a basement which many stores on East Meadow Avenue do not have.”

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