Island Properties, L.L.C. ("IP") and the Oyster Bay Main Street Association ("MSA") announced on March 19 that they are collaborating on renovation plans for the façade at the recently announced Not Just Art location in the Hamlet of Oyster Bay. Members of the MSA's Design Committee reviewed the preliminary plans for the facility and worked with IP project managers to develop a design scheme that would emphasize traditional architectural materials and details.

"We are pleased to launch our Façade Improvement program for downtown Oyster Bay with the design collaboration with Island Properties," said Bill Sheeline, president of the MSA. "We will soon be announcing the details of our program, which will include both design and financial assistance for property owners interested in upgrading the facades of their buildings. We hope that other property owners will take advantage of both the design and financial services that this program will provide."

"Our plans for revitalizing Oyster Bay's business district not only include improving the Hamlet economically, but also making it a more beautiful place to live in," said Abraham Poznanski, president of IP, who is additionally a board member of the MSA. "We feel that Not Just Art, as the anchor tenant for our newly announced Center for the Creative Arts can become prominent in the business district, and we want these locations to represent the hamlet's unique atmosphere."

The building, which is located at 183 South Street, was built in the 1920s as an extension to 179 South Street, an Italianate-style house constructed in the 1870s. Renovations to the building will preserve two grand interior arches that originally defined the storefronts, as well as the original tin ceiling.

"Island Properties' initial plans for the Not Just Art building retained the arches as an intrinsic part of the design," said David Lamb, chairman of the MSA Design Committee. "They are important stylistically as they reflect the late 19th, early 20th century storefront design that someone would typically see in the villages of Long Island and New York."

In addition to the original arches, the final design allowed for the use of traditional materials for the construction of the façade. IP and the MSA agreed that wooden sash windows, wood doors and wood siding, as opposed to aluminum, would produce a high-quality, historically appropriate result.

"We believe that the opening of Not Just Art in a beautifully renovated building should send a clear signal that Island Properties' Implementation Phase is getting underway here in the Hamlet," said Lori Horowitz, the Chief Operating Officer of Northern Bay Management Group, L.L.C., which manages IP holdings in Oyster Bay. "We expect to announce more of our plans and initiatives in the coming months."

"We applaud Island Properties for taking a leadership role in the revitalization of Oyster Bay," said Katie Schwab, executive director of the MSA. "We look forward to working with them, and other downtown property owners, on other façade improvement projects in the future."

About Island Properties, L.L.C.: Island Properties, L.L.C. is a private real estate investment company working toward the revitalization and beautification of the downtown area in the historic Hamlet of Oyster Bay, where it owns approximately 70 properties. It has served as a member of the Steering Committee, appointed by Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, to develop the Oyster Bay Hamlet Plan, which is currently under review by the Oyster Bay Town Board and is expected to be approved in the near future. Abraham Poznanski, president of Island Properties, is also a board member of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association. For more information, please visit www.islandpropertiesllc.com.

About Northern Bay Management Group, L.L.C.: Northern Bay Management Group, L.L.C. is a real estate management and services company that acts as the managing agent for Island Properties, L.L.C. holdings in Oyster Bay. Northern Bay has served as a member of the Steering Committee, and its Chief Operating Officer, Lori Horowitz, is also a member of the Oyster Bay Main Street Association.

About The Oyster Bay Main Street Association: The Oyster Bay Main Street Association is a non-profit organization based on the program model developed by the Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Its goals are to foster both the economic revitalization and historic preservation of the hamlet of Oyster Bay. The Main Street Association has developed a Façade Improvement Program as one tool to implement its objectives. This program offers free design assistance and private, low-cost financing to property owners with the goal of ensuring historically appropriate and economically feasible improvements.