New Era In Rockville Centre, Former Diocese HQ Office Space Approval

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY — The former headquarters of the Rockville Centre Roman Catholic Diocese is on the path to becoming an office building.

The project for 50 N. Park Ave. would include a gut renovation of the 60,000-square-foot building.

The Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency (IDA) approved the economic incentives on Nov. 16 for Great Neck-based Philips International Holding Corp. and its affiliate Rock 50 LLC.

Part of the overhaul would feature demolishing the lobby, lower level and five upper floors to properly accommodate new office tenants.

While the developer has no tenants committed to the project, Philips said it expects to generate 223 permanent full-time jobs.

Philips acquired the property for $9.8 million in October 2022 and intends to spend a
total of $19 million on the project, the IDA said.

The diocese sold the five-story building in March 2021 to Hempstead-based Synergy Holding Partners for $5.2 million as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

The building had been exempt from property taxes while owned by the diocese. Rock 50 will be required to make PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) payments of $525,000 in the first year of the 15-year pact. Those payments gradually rise to $710,000 in year 15, the IDA said.