Compare Fresh Opens New Grocery Store in Hempstead
The 17,000-square-foot store anchors a massive mixed-use project, signaling new retail capacity for downtown Hempstead.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Compare Fresh has opened a 17,000-square-foot grocery store on the ground floor of the newly developed 159 Main complex in Hempstead. The store is part of a larger transit-linked revitalization project that includes 228 residential apartments.
Why it matters
The development of 159 Main utilized over $136 million in financial incentives to attract businesses to the Village of Hempstead and address a local void in fresh food access. This project highlights how municipal zoning and tax incentives are being used to drive mixed-use density in the area.
The 159 Main development received over $136 million in government incentives toward a $155 million total project cost. The new Compare Fresh location occupies 17,000 square feet and employs 52 full- and part-time workers.
The players
Conifer LLC
A real estate development firm specializing in the construction and management of mixed-income and multi-family residential housing.
Community Development Long Island
A regional non-profit focused on creating housing and economic development opportunities to support sustainable growth.
The details
The grocery store serves as a key commercial anchor for the 159 Main complex, which covers 323,198 square feet across 2.54 acres. Its placement follows a transit-linked revitalization strategy enabled by a 26-acre overlay zone created by the village in 2012 to streamline approvals. The facility bridges a local supply gap by offering both mainstream American items and Central American products to residents and surrounding commuters.
Timeline
2012: The Village of Hempstead created a 26-acre overlay zone to expedite downtown development.
2023: Construction began on the 159 Main development.
October 30, 2026: Compare Fresh opened its new store in Hempstead.
Market Landscape
This development follows the precedent set by the 2012 creation of a 26-acre downtown overlay zone designed to attract private investment to the Village of Hempstead. It marks a significant milestone in the municipality's decade-long effort to incentivize high-density, mixed-use projects.
Operators should track the remaining commercial vacancy at 159 Main, which is slated to be filled by a restaurant and two additional shops. The project demonstrates the scale of public-private partnerships required to overcome development barriers in the current downtown market.
The takeaway
The successful integration of a grocery anchor into a high-density apartment complex suggests a shifting retail strategy for transit-adjacent sites in Hempstead. Operators should monitor the success of this grocery-residential model as a benchmark for future mixed-use site feasibility studies.
Further reading
For broader trends in local retail, read our coverage on Hempstead Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsday.
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Should local governments offer large financial incentives to developers for new retail and housing projects?
