Tritec Real Estate's $1.3B Station Yards Development Reaches 89% Retail Occupancy With Local Long Island Tenants

Tritec Real Estate Company's Station Yards development in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., has secured leases on 89% of its initial 67,000 square feet of retail space, with 19 tenants — most of them locally owned Long Island businesses — occupying or preparing to open at the mixed-use project, the developer said.

The $1.3 billion development, located on a 53-acre site stretching from Garrity Avenue east to Mill Road north of the Long Island Rail Road station, is planned to ultimately deliver 1,450 apartments, 195,000 square feet of retail space, and 360,000 square feet of office space. Full buildout is expected within six to eight years.

Local Retail Strategy Drives Leasing Momentum

Tritec Real Estate has deliberately pursued locally owned operators over national chains to differentiate the retail offering at Station Yards. Chris Kelly, senior vice president of Tritec Real Estate Co., said the goal was to create a sense of place specific to Long Island.

"We wanted it to be this place that felt like Long Island when you got here. … Like you couldn't pick it up and drop it in the middle of any other city" that was already "full of Cheesecake Factories and Starbucks," Kelly said.

Tenants that have opened since fall 2024 include Great South Bay Brewery, the Tex-Mex eatery Lucharitos, Vespa Italian Kitchen and Cocktails, Toast Coffee & Kitchen, Cornucopia Natural Foods grocery store, Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Hammer & Stain crafting studio, Playa Bowls, and FourLeaf Federal Credit Union. According to Tritec, all but Ben & Jerry's, Playa Bowls, and Hammer & Stain are businesses with roots on Long Island.

Upcoming Retail Openings Add to Tenant Mix

Several additional tenants are currently under construction within the development. Hotworx, an infrared sauna fitness studio, is expected to open this spring. The French Workshop, a bakery, is slated to open by May. Bloom, a combination florist, hair salon, and spa, is scheduled to open in April.

Kerry Weisse, a Long Island resident and owner of Bloom, said the mixed-use nature of Station Yards was a key factor in her decision to locate there.

"It is a community there, and we wanted to make sure that we cater to everybody," Weisse said. She described Bloom as "any woman's dream" and said she expects to draw significant wedding-related business. The shop will employ 12 professionals across the floral, hairstyling, and aesthetician industries.

Development Scale and Phasing

Station Yards is located on a former industrial and retail district north of the Long Island Rail Road station in Ronkonkoma. The project is planned to transform the site into a mixed-use hub, with full buildout expected in six to eight years. Tritec Real Estate Company, headquartered in Ronkonkoma, is serving as the lead developer. The firm has not disclosed transaction pricing, capitalization rates, or financing terms for the project.