Developers propose housing on Touro College property

A developer is eyeing plans to build a “multifamily” complex on Touro College’s Bay Shore campus property that is for sale, officials said.

Tritec Real Estate Company, based in East Setauket, went into contract with Touro College last August to purchase 10 acres at 1700 Union Blvd. 

“We are looking to build a multifamily development,” said Kelley Coughlan-Heck, Tritec’s vice president of development. “We are looking to complement and further enhance the revitalization efforts in Bay Shore. It’s a great community.”

Coughlan-Heck said the property is attractive because it is a block away from Bay Shore’s downtown and near the Long Island Rail Road station.

Tritec expects to close on the contract in August 2020, Coughlan-Heck said.

Elisheva Schlam, Touro College’s executive director of communications and marketing, said the decision to enter into contract with Tritec was made after the college determined there was “a lot of available space” on its Islip campus. Proceeds from the sale will “allow us to renovate the Islip campus and add housing and a clinic center,” she said.

The move will also allow the college to consolidate. Deans from Touro's School of Health Sciences and Law Center see opportunities for joint programming, Schlam said.

Chris Kelly, vice president of marketing for Tritec, said the company has experience developing properties in communities that have benefited from downtown revitalizations, such as Patchogue and the Ronkonkoma Hub. Late last year, the Babylon Industrial Development Agency approved $28.6 million in tax breaks for Tritec to construct a 260-unit apartment building at East Hoffman Avenue in Lindenhurst as part of efforts to boost downtown. The 7-acre property is across from the Lindenhurst train station.

He says the company is meeting with stakeholders and plans to hear from residents before solidifying plans for the property.

“We work with the community to create something that works for them and us,” Kelly said.