The Babylon Industrial Development Agency is weighing about a $428,000 sales-tax exemption tied to a plan to overhaul a vacant North Amityville warehouse at 1000 New Horizons Boulevard. Project filings lay out roughly a year of work to modernize about 243,000 square feet and reconfigure the property for light-industrial, warehouse and distribution tenants. Company documents say the refit would bring roughly 35 construction and manufacturing jobs and spur more than $9 million in private investment.
As reported by Newsday, the applicant listed in IDA paperwork is SM NY QRS 14-93 Inc., while a filing with the SEC lists SM(NY) QRS 14-93 among real estate investment trust W. P. Carey’s subsidiaries. The company is seeking up to $428,150 in sales-tax exemptions that the IDA says would apply to materials used in the renovation. The application also states that work is expected to start this spring and take about a year to complete.
The building and the plan
The site spans roughly 17 acres and includes about 234,000 square feet of industrial space, along with nearly 28,636 square feet of executive office area that is flagged for demolition, according to a commercial listing on LoopNet. Both the listing and the IDA application describe upgrades that include interior demolition, LED lighting, slab sealing and façade work aimed at turning the property into a ready-to-go multi-tenant facility. The renovations are pitched to attract light-industrial, warehouse and distribution users looking for modern loading, heavy power and improved parking.
Jobs and local context
IDA paperwork projects about 35 permanent jobs tied to the refit and highlights construction-period hiring, while the applicant notes more than $9 million in planned private investment. The building has been largely vacant since the end of 2024, after the prior tenant left following a GKN Aerospace closure in 2023 that cut roughly 200 local jobs. "We're excited by the prospect of SM-NY bringing good paying construction and manufacturing jobs to the Town of Babylon," a town official told Newsday.
Tax break mechanics and legal context
New York law requires IDAs to hold a public hearing and follow notice rules before providing financial assistance over $100,000, requirements set out in General Municipal Law §859-a, which is summarized on Justia. The statute mandates published notice and an opportunity for oral and written comment, and agencies are expected to document cost-benefit analyses for the record. Supporters say sales-tax exemptions for materials can lower upfront construction costs and speed the reuse of idle industrial buildings, while critics argue that such incentives deserve close scrutiny for their long-term effects on school districts and municipal revenues.
What comes next
The Babylon IDA’s calendar lists board meetings and public hearings at Old Town Hall in Babylon Village, with late-February sessions slated for new applications and public comment. After the hearing, the IDA board could vote on the sales-tax exemption, but the project would still need town planning and zoning approvals, including a parking variance, before any work can begin. Residents can review the application and sign up to speak through the Babylon IDA calendar on the agency’s website.
For North Amityville, the proposal effectively tests whether a targeted incentive can turn a large, idle industrial site back into a revenue-generating property with local jobs to match. The upcoming public hearing will be where neighbors, school districts and municipal officials weigh in on whether the tradeoffs add up.
