Homes on Rise at Longstanding Vacant Lot in West End

While vacant residential properties have risen dramatically in Long Beach after Hurricane Sandy, as many homeowners have had to demolish their storm-damaged houses, one longstanding vacant lot will soon feature two new homes.

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Last year a house was built and sold on a 30-by-60-foot subdivision of the lot at 835 W. Beech St., at the northwest corner of Nebraska Street, and the other section was sold and a second home will be constructed on it, after the lot had stood vacant for more than 10 years.

“It was one property, they subdivided it, a lot was sold, they built a house, they sold the house and now they sold the second lot,” said Nevin Diamond, a realtor with Century 21 who had tried to sell the property in recent years.    

The new two-bedroom house sold for $540,000, and the second property sold for $202,500 in December.

“I sold that property to a man who is building a house for his daughter,” said the Douglas Elliman listing and sales agent of the second property. “As soon as he gets his variance he will start to build.”

For the past decade the lot has been the subject of various proposals. In 2004, M&T Land Inc. bought the commercial property and was granted a variance to build two one-family homes, but they never materialized. The variance expired and the land remained unused.

In 2009, the city attempted to exercise its power of eminent domain to take the lot, with the plan to convert it into a residential parking lot for 10 cars. To build the parking lot, the city planned to us a $250,00 grant from Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) that was going to be used to purchase and pave another parcel, at 1055 West Beech St., to use for parking.

At the time, the mortgage holders of the 835 W. Beech St. property were vehemently against the city taking the land through eminent domain, especially to convert it into parking lot. When Republicans subsequently lost their majority in the Senate, though, Democrats reapportioned the funds.