Developer remediates site of future apartment complex in Hempstead, DEC says

The developer of a new apartment complex seen as key to Hempstead Village's revitalization has completed a cleanup of contamination at the site, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Today new apartments are rising on the property at Bedell and Main streets following the excavation and removal of approximately 23,300 cubic yards of contaminated material, according to the DEC. The developer also removed an underground oil tank, according to the agency.

Conifer Realty LLC, the Rochester-based developer of the 159 Main Street apartment project, oversaw the remediation effort. The site was part of the DEC's brownfield cleanup program. The development will have 228 apartments and 228 parking spaces, including underground parking, and 22,600 square feet of ground level commercial space, according to Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency documents. The $155 million development, formerly known as Carman Place Apartments, is expected to be completed toward the end of 2026, Newsday has reported.

The site had been used for residential and commercial purposes since about 1904, according to a remediation plan prepared on behalf of the developer by PS&S LLC, a New Jersey-based architectural and engineering firm. The property over the years had dry cleaning, automobile garages and parking as well as stores and apartments, according to the plan.

An environmental assessment found soil contamination from lead, mercury and volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds are chemicals containing carbon that easily evaporate and can be found in gasoline and cleaning solvents, for example, according to the DEC's website.

Semi-volatile organic compounds are similar but don't evaporate as easily, according to the DEC.  Those compounds in the soil were unlikely to directly affect people. But evaporating chemicals in soil can lead to exposure through the air, according to the DEC's description of the site.

“Volatile organic compounds in soil vapor (air spaces within the soil) may move into buildings and affect the indoor air quality,” according to the DEC.

Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. said the cleanup addressed the environmental problems outlined by the state.

“It’s rectified according to state mandates so we continue to move forward with revitalizing our downtown area,” Hobbs said.

The DEC, in a statement, said brownfield applicants "perform a cleanup that is fully protective of public health and the environment." 

"New York State has a proven track record of successfully investigating and cleaning up many contaminated sites across New York State, including the Carman Place site in the Village of Hempstead, Nassau County, as part of DEC’s ongoing mission to protect public health and the environment," the agency said in a statement. 

The agency said it works closely with the state health department to ensure brownfield cleanups use the best available science. The DEC said it continually reviews and monitors environmental cleanups to protect the public from exposure to contaminants. 

Earlier this month, Newsday reported that the retail and affordable housing project had been delayed but is now on track to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026. Citing the developer, Newsday reported that the project will benefit more than $136 million in county, state and federal financial incentives.