Rechlers' New Hampton Boathouses On Shinnecock Canal Offered For Rent

The developers of the long-in-the-making Hampton Boathouses, a 37-unit development on the Shinnecock Canal, are changing plans in light of market shifts due to the coronavirus pandemic and are now offering the first 16 townhouses for rent instead of sale.

The original concept was to offer all of the units for ownership rather than lease, but then the demand for East End rentals skyrocketed as people fled New York City for less populous areas amid COVID and social distancing. Now, as of this month, two-bedroom units are available to rent via Douglas Elliman Real Estate starting at $8,000 per month, and three-bedroom units start at $10,675 per month. In April last year, the two-bedrooms were marketed for sale at $1.5 million, and three-bedrooms asked $2.15 million.

During an interview last week, the developers, cousins Mitchell and Gregg Rechler of Rechler Equity Partners in Plainview, explained the decision and the plans for the Hampton Boathouses going forward.

“Up until March, it was our plan for them to be for-sale townhomes, and once COVID hit, we looked carefully and we saw how the market had shifted,” Mitchell Rechler said. “And we’re working with Douglas Elliman, and they were on the ground telling us how the rental market for homes over the course of the spring had exploded, which was no surprise at the time while it was going on. As time went on and we saw this materializing, we made the determination that it was best for the project to give it to rentals.”

The coronavirus pandemic had set the project back by several months, as construction was shut down on Long Island from March until the end of May under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New York State on PAUSE executive orders. Even when construction was allowed to resume, the Rechlers explained, it took some time to remobilize, and they could not have multiple people working in the same room simultaneously.

They now expect to have the first four rental permits approved soon, six more by the end of the month, and another six by the end of November.

The second phase of the project includes 14 townhouses and is now expected to be completed in mid to late 2021, and phase three, the last seven homes, is slated to be done by early 2022. The units range in size from 1,605 to 2,640 square feet

A two-bedroom end unit and a three-bedroom interior unit have been staged for showing prospective tenants.

“Both units are representative of pretty much the entire 37 units, so the key to having models is to have representation,” Gregg Rechler said.

“It helps prospective residents visualize what the units are going to look like with furniture,” Mitchell Rechler added.

They enlisted interior designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz of BNO Design in Manhattan to stage both townhouses.

In additions to staging bedrooms and living areas, Mr. Noriega-Ortiz also designed a home office with a large window overlooking the canal and boats going by.

The development’s pool, clubhouse and gym are all complete, furnished and ready for use, and a dock with 18 boat slips available for rent will be ready in the spring.

“People are excited about it,” Gregg Rechler said. “It’s actually fun for us to see people react — after watching this thing under construction for so long — walk through and their eyes widen.”

Each unit has its own unique view corridor of the canal and has top-of-the-line appliances and finishes, he said.

The Hampton Boathouses’ origins stretch back to 2005 when the Rechlers purchased the Canoe Place Inn, a former Hampton Bays hot spot that had fallen into disrepair. The Rechlers later bought the nearby canalfront restaurant and bar Tide Runners. In the application process for both properties it became clear that the Hampton Bays community wanted Canoe Place Inn rehabilitated and saved, the Rechlers said.

The Hampton Boathouses development is rising on the former Tide Runners site, on the east side of the canal and north of Montauk Highway.

Meanwhile, on Newtown Road, the restoration and renovation of the Canoe Place Inn to create a 21st century catering hall and hotel is still underway. Once it is operational, Canoe Place Inn will offer Hampton Boathouses tenants and owners concierge services, such as housekeeping and in-home dining.

In accordance with COVID social distancing measures, there are no walk-ins or open house events to view the model homes. Showings are by appointment only. For more information, visit hamptonboathouses.com.