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BROOKLYN, NY-"This is my life's work," Stephen S. Jemal, president of SSJ Development tells GlobeSt.com. He is speaking of a series of niche developments along the waterfronts here in communities such as Gerritsen Beach, Mill Basin and Bensonhurst.

SSJ hones in on waterfront areas to restore the shoreline and reestablish the public's access to the water. "Great neighborhoods looked like blight. The waterfront was industrial and commercial. It was forgotten, underutilized and neglected. It's a crime."

One example of the firm's efforts is that it just picked up a three-acre property for $8.8 million in Gerritsen Beach. SSJ plans the Riviera, a townhouse development costing approximately $30 million to complete. The firm also plans another Riviera development along Mill Basin at East 66th Street and Dakota Place. This effort is expected to cost approximately $20 million. Each project takes six to nine months to plan using the firm's in-house development team and approximately a year to build. Other Riviera projects are in Sheepshead Bay and Cape May, NJ.