Project Overview

Background

Weintraub Projects bought a controlling interest in an inoperative, ¾-acre commercial property located at 90 Clinton Avenue, South Nyack, New York 10960, in 2005. 

In 2005, the property had most recently been operated as The Nyack Icehouse, where water from an onsite deep water well had been pumped to the surface and used to form both bag ice and large block ice.  The first known commercial use of the property was in the late 19th century, when the site was used as a rail siding (for the long shuttered northern branch of The New Jersey Railroad that ran north through the South Franklin Street right-of-way along the western border of the site) and a coal yard.

When Weintraub Projects got involved in 2005, the icehouse business had ceased several years earlier.  But there were remnants of the business:  a large, dilapidated, brick factory building; a small cinder block garage; a small A-frame scale house; and unmistakable signs of environmental contamination.  Other remnants of the old business were legal problems; the prior operator of the site had failed to make mortgage payments for some time and other creditors were prowling around.  Weintraub Projects cleared up the outstanding liens and restructured the debt.  

Upon initial investigation, the environmental issues were found to be limited to petroleum spills associated with long forgotten underground storage tanks (which were identified and removed, including one 12,000 gallon heating oil tank) and with long-past disposal of waste petroleum product in the site’s ceramic sanitary waste lines.  The old water well was found to be contaminated with lead from an offsite source.  These conditions would be remedied to New York State satisfaction during development.

In 2006, Weintraub Projects began the long process of subdividing the site into building lots.  While various scenarios were contemplated, it was eventually agreed that the site would be divided into two lots, one lot approximately ¼ acre and one lot approximately ½ acre.  Both lots would front onto Clinton Avenue.  After taking down the two small buildings in 2006, in 2008 Weintraub Projects demolished the old factory after extensive asbestos abatement.

While there were many steps to securing the subdivision, that process was completed in 2013.  The result of the subdivision process was the creation of the smaller lot, which kept the designation of 90 Clinton Avenue.  The larger lot became 92 Clinton Avenue.  

Development of 90 Clinton

In early 2014, Weintraub Projects began to develop a single-family home at 90 Clinton Avenue, South Nyack, New York 10960.  While the market would only accommodate a modest home on the site, because of the lot’s unusually large size for the neighborhood (that is, ¼ acre), we were able to design generous landscaping.

By increasing the natural eastward slope of the land on the site, we were able to design the house to include a full walk-out basement, with nice eastern light, a bedroom and a full bathroom.  The first floor was designed to be open, taking advantage of the good light in all four directions.  There is a wood-burning fireplace and a powder room on the first floor, as well as the kitchen, dining area and living room.  Similarly, both front and back porches were included to take advantage of both the front and back yards and landscaping.  The second floor accommodated a big master bedroom, with its own walk-in closet and full bathroom, as well as two additional bedrooms that share an ample hall bathroom.  

Throughout the house, emphasis was given to window and base molding details, as well as to flooring materials, appliances and fixtures. 

The demolition of the original ice house on the site had resulted in there being an abundance of locally produced bricks from the 19th and early 20th centuries.  We were able to incorporate many of these bricks into the front path and back patio of the house.  The presence of brick visually tied into the foundation facing, giving the newly constructed house an older look, fitting easily into the neighborhood.

90 Clinton Street was closed and the first owners moved in during the early autumn in 2015.