Friday, June 15, 2018
Guide to
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THE PULSE OF THE PENINSULA
Vol. 93, No. 24
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SENIOR LIVING
VGN ALONE WITH CONTESTED ELECTION
CURRAN SEEKS NEW NASSAU HUB PLANS
PAGES 33-40
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End seen for historic Kings Point estate
JOY RIDE
Property slated for demolition had history of violations; future unclear BY JA N E LL E C L AUS E N A Kings Point estate that was a precursor to the Gold Coast mansions and possibly inspired the “Great Gatsby” may soon be no more, records and interviews suggest. But what will go up in its place is unclear. The estate is in the early phases of demolition, public records and interviews show, marking the beginning of a lengthy process for the 16-acre property. A tree removal permit, valid from Feb. 1 until July 31, allows for the taking down of 70 trees throughout the property, including 30 around the tennis court and garden walls, 12 around the pool, and 11 by a garage and greenhouses. Demolition began around three weeks ago, according to Lou Valla, the project manager for Premier Building which is managing the demolition process. “Right now they’re applying for a subdivision, but that’s all I can tell you,” Valla said of the owners on
Monday. Of the demolition and subdivision, he added, “It will be a very long process.” Dr. Faraidoon Golyan, a cardiologist listed as a current property owner in public records, said on Tuesday that he would need to check with fellow owners before discussing plans for the estate. The estate’s history dates to the 1850s, predating the Gold Coast estates. George Hewlett, whom Hewlett Point is named after, owned the property before it was sold to John Alsop King Jr., whom the Village of Kings Point is named after. Richard Church, of Church & Dwight Co., the creators of Arm and Hammer baking soda, then acquired it at the turn of the last century. The estate is widely believed to be the inspiration for “The Great Gatsby” because of its special pool, frequent social gatherings the Churches held, its location, and how well the book’s author F. Scott Continued on Page 58
PHOTO BY JANELLE CLAUSEN
Dana, Sabrina and Kevin Levian, the grandchildren of Norman Namdar, enjoy a ride on the Scrambler at Village Green. See story and photos on page 58.
Nassau IDA improves, but still lags neighbors BY LU K E TORRANCE The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency gave out $3,003 in net tax exemptions per job created in 2016, the lowest amount for the
county since 2012, according to! the New York state comptroller’s annual IDA report, released earlier this month. But the amount is higher than Westchester County’s!$2,961 per job gained and more than six times the amount of Suffolk’s IDA net exemptions
per job gained. Of the three counties, Nassau had the most IDA projects with 173. The $88.6 million in tax exemptions was not only the most of the three counties, it was the most of any county in the state by a significant Continued on Page 20
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