Luxury apartments in Mineola available at below-market rents through lottery

Apartment hunters can apply through a housing lottery for six units in Mineola available at discounted rents in a luxury building that includes a golf simulator and a rooftop pickleball court.

The units are in the 54-unit Royal Blue Luxury Apartments on Searing Avenue, which opened earlier this year. Applications are open through Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.

The building is within walking distance of the Mineola train station and is the latest example of new apartments in Mineola, where more than 1,000 units have been added over the past decade.

Rents in the six lottery units are priced at $2,205 for a studio, while one-bedroom units are available at $2,519 and $3,178 a month, depending on applicants’ income. 

Those rents are designed to meet the federal standard for affordable housing, which requires housing expenses including utilities to take up no more than 30% of a household’s gross income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To qualify, individual applicants can earn a maximum of $115,450, while couples can earn up to $131,900.

Peter Elkowitz, president and CEO of the Long Island Housing Partnership, said he expects significant interest given the building’s location in Mineola, with its busy downtown area and fast commutes to New York City.

“It’s a tough market out there,” he said. "They’re getting a new unit and probably many more amenities than you have in a lot of the older units.”

The nonprofit had already received almost 300 applications as of Monday, said Jill Rosen-Nikoloff, senior vice president at Long Island Housing Partnership. Interested applicants can find more information at lihp.org/rentals.html and can email rentals5@lihp.org for assistance.

Interest in recent housing lotteries has far exceeded availability. Long Island Housing Partnership received 1,017 applications for 20 available units at The Langdon in Lynbrook earlier this year.

The lottery units are priced below other available units in the building, which are listed from $4,200 for a one-bedroom unit to $7,400, for a two-bedroom unit that spans nearly 1,700 square feet.

Residents began moving into the building in May, and more than half the apartments are leased including both its three-bedroom units, said Julia Krispeal, an associate broker at Douglas Elliman who handles leasing at Royal Blue. Most of the units are one-bedroom apartments.

Amenities include a fitness center, a lounge and a pet spa with a grooming area as well as a business center. There’s also a sauna, a steam room and a massage therapy area.

On the rooftop, residents can access a pickleball court and a swim spa, which combines separate pool and hot tub areas.

Inside, apartments feature 9-foot ceilings, spacious open-concept kitchens and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“It’s very desirable for people that are looking to be in a central location and are looking for that elevated experience,” Krispeal said. “I’m finding a lot of the residents that are leasing in the building, they’re either downsizing or moving from New York City and figuring out their next move.”

The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency required 10% of the units offered at discounted rents as part of its package of tax benefits. Those included a nearly $214,000 mortgage recording tax exemption and a $1.6 million exemption from sales taxes. The developer also entered a 20-year payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement, in which it will pay an average of $299,000 a year.

Royal Blue is one of four buildings operated by Mineola-based Blue Communities, which also has buildings in Long Beach, Far Rockaway and Yonkers.