Proposals Coming for Vacant Malverne Supermarket, Nursery Land

The new year may bring some new developments for two commercial properties in the village of Malverne.

At Wednesday's village board meeting, officials announced that on Jan. 17 a public hearing will take place at Village Hall to consider a proposal for the vacant grocery store on Hempstead Avenue. 

When the supermarket closed in mid-August -- only 16 months after re-opening under new management -- the plan was to find a new owner who would take over the store but keep the Associated name. That never happened.

But after sitting vacant for more than four months, the property has attracted the interest of a possible tenant but this person has a different plan for the failed grocery store.

The potential tenant is seeking a "site change of use," requesting that it be switched from a "supermarket" to a "general market," explained Trustee Michael Bailey. More details will be revealed at the public hearing, which will start at 8:30 p.m.

That's not all. Building Superintendent Richard Barbieri also stated that another proposal is sitting on his desk for the former site of the Woodland Nursery on Franklin Avenue. 

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A&E Development LLC, a contracting company better known as "Mr. Stoop," purchased the property in late 2010. In August 2011, Then, they cleaned up the land to make it more presentable and "park-like" while they worked with architects and village leaders to decide its fate.

"It's up to the local people. I'm open to anything," Agostino Esposito, owner of A&E Development, told Patch in 2011, adding, "We're not rushing into anything."

There had been rumors circulating for months that the contracting company intended to erect townhouses at the site, and in October 2011, Barbieri told the village board that Esposito would be submitting a petition to rezone the property, possibly to build townhouses.

Since then, there had been no news to report regarding the site but on Wednesday, Barbieri explained that A&E is looking to build five separate houses on the land.

The proposal will have to go to the Nassau County Planning Board before Malverne village officials have a chance to weigh in on it. No date has been set yet for when the Planning Board will review it.