The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency has awarded tax abatements for an $11.5 million transit-oriented housing project near the Mineola train station, part of a villagewide initiative to increase housing stock.

Mineola-based developer Ambrosino Consultant Corp. plans to build 30 apartments at 155 First Street, less than a half-mile from the village’s Long Island Rail Road station and near several bus lines, the developer said. Three of the one-bedroom apartments are reserved for households with annual incomes of up to $100,000, according to John Gordon, the developer’s attorney.

The Nassau IDA has approved a 15-year tax incentive package that includes a sales tax exemption of up to $442,074 and a reduction of up to $71,250 in the mortgage registration tax exemption, Gordon said.

According to Sheldon Shrenkel, CEO and executive director of the IDA, the property tax agreement calls for an annual increase in the tax rate of 2 percent.

The proposal is another example of Mineola’s long-standing commitment to creating more housing.

Mineola has seen more than 1,100 multifamily housing developments in the past 12 years, bringing the village’s total to more than 3,000 units, Mineola Mayor Paul Pereira said. Another 800 units have been approved and are either under construction or in the planning stages, he said.

In February, Mineola was one of 20 communities in the state certified as “housing friendly” by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration. The designation rewards communities that develop strategies to increase housing options for their residents.

“My vision is to create a downtown that is walkable, that is a destination that attracts people, not just to live, shop and work,” Pereira said. “To do that, we need to build a critical mass of people.”

The new building’s “proximity to the train station and bus routes will make it easier and encourage residents to use public transport, ultimately reducing the demand for cars,” the developer’s proposal states.

New developments offer “the younger folks in our area an opportunity to pay Long Island rent and still live an urban lifestyle,” says Michael Ambrosino, owner of the development company. “They can work in the city, they can play in the city, go to the gym in the city, go out to eat in the city.”

Direct trains from Mineola to Penn Station and Grand Central often take less than 50 minutes.

The developer plans to build 28 one-bedroom apartments and two studios that will appeal to young professionals and young families, Ambrosino said.

Ambrosino owns the property, which consists of an office building with 40 full-time employees from four companies — including Ambrosino’s firm — and a parking lot. The parking lot serves the office complex but is underused, according to Pereira, and takes up about 80% of the property.

A 930 square meter section of the building that formerly housed a law firm will be demolished. The three-story, 2,800 square meter residential building will be built over the parking lot.

The IDA approved the proposal because it “would create new jobs in Nassau County that would not otherwise exist,” Shrenkel said in a statement.

“With this project, we will create new jobs and retain 40 existing jobs, generate new revenue for the tax authorities and add additional units of much-needed affordable housing,” said Shrenkel.

According to an application for IDA tax credits, the developer will create a full-time administrative position with an annual salary of $45,771.

Joshua Needelman covers the town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his articles have appeared in publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.