New five-story apartment complex proposed would offer river views from West Main Street in Riverhead

Riverhead has another five-story apartment proposal on its plate.

This one — dubbed “The Vue” — is planned for the northeast corner of West Main Street and Sweezy Avenue. 

The proposed apartments will have a view of the Peconic River. 

The applicant is Georgica Green Ventures, the same company that built the 116-unit Riverview Lofts on East Main Street and is also working on the proposed Transit Oriented Development on Railroad Avenue. 

Whereas Riverview Lofts is considered “workforce” housing, this project will be a market rate development. 

The new proposal calls for a total of 133 units, comprised of 25 studio apartments, 83 one-bedroom apartments and 25 two-bed apartments.

There will be 78 parking spots on the ground floor, including four accessible stalls and four electric vehicle parking stalls.

But how does this proposal fit in with the town’s 500-unit limit on downtown apartments?

It doesn’t. That cap only applies to the Downtown Center-1 district (DC-1), whereas this project would be in the DC-3 zone. 

The proposal will include ground-floor commercial space and parking, plus underground parking with the apartments on the upper floors.

“This is definitely a depressed area, so something along this nature is monumental to gentrifying the area,” Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said. 

The new proposal also calls for indoor amenity spaces for residents and a rooftop patio, according to David Gallo, founder of Georgica Green Ventures. 

“We continue to have a long waiting list at Riverview Lofts,” Mr. Gallo said. “We’ve had a great demand for all three income tiers and I know this is going to lease out.”

The land is currently vacant, and is located adjacent to an office complex at 400 West Main St. 

Under state environmental law, the project is consisted a Type 1 action, which involves a mandatory coordinated review among involved agencies.

Summerwind Square, built on Peconic Avenue in 2013, was followed by Peconic Crossing on West Main Street, Woolworth Apartments and Riverhead Lofts on East Main Street, as the first new apartment buildings in the downtown area. Each is classified workforce housing.

Since then, most of the new apartments built in Riverhead have been market-rate developments.