A revised proposal to redevelop the site of Kollel Ohr Haemet, a Jewish community center and institute for advanced Torah study, at 112 Steamboat Road returned to the Village of Great Neck Board of Trustees on Tuesday, July 21, as project representatives presented updates aimed at addressing site layout concerns before moving ahead in the village review process.
Architect Joe Yacobellis, a partner at Mojo Stumer Associates, told trustees the proposal has undergone several revisions since it was first submitted in 2024. Mayor Pedram Bral said the application was recently denied by the village’s Building Department, and the applicant is awaiting a formal denial letter before proceeding to the next phase of review.
The proposal calls for a new two-story synagogue along Steamboat Road and a 12-unit townhouse development at the rear of the property, down from 14 units in earlier plans. The reduction was made to improve site circulation and emergency vehicle access. The synagogue would contain about 15,000 square feet of interior space on two floors, with a 7,500-square-foot footprint, and would rise about 30 feet to the main roof.
Describing the design as a future landmark, Yacobellis said the building would feature limestone, wood and glass, with architectural elements reflecting the synagogue’s religious and educational functions.
Bral called the proposal “a huge update to the neighborhood” but said parking remains one of the village’s biggest concerns because of the scale of the redevelopment and nearby residential uses, including the proposed townhouses. Representatives for the synagogue said they have begun discussions with neighboring property owners about shared overflow parking for larger events.
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