Developer looks to reconnect Brooklyn to its waterfront.

When Brooklyn developer Stephen Jemal goes property hunting, it's not a newspaper, car or train he uses to see what's available, it's a boat. A niche waterfront developer, Jemal says his odd method of discovering properties isn't a merely a matter of personal style.

"Most of the properties I look at you'd never even see from the road," Jemal said.

On reason for this is that there's often a fence and "no trespassing" sign on the land side of the properties that most interest Jemal. His company, SSJ Development, seeks out decrepit shoreline properties and turns them into low-rise condominiums complete with private boat slips and public waterfront promenades. Quietly, Jemal is converting several sections of rundown South Brooklyn waterfront into such condo communities, a housing plan he has branded "The Riviera."

"The thing about these neighborhoods is the neighborhoods themselves are very nice," said Jemal, an avid boater and water-skier famous for his run as former owner of the "Nobody Beats the Wiz" electronics chain. "It's a nice community with manicured lawns and then you get to the waters edge and there's a rundown factory there ... The waterfront's been basically abandoned."

Currently, Jemal has Rivera projects of varying sizes underway at Sheepshead Bay, Mill River Basin and Gerritsen Beach, all in South Brooklyn. He expects to close on more land and start more Riviera developments soon.

Jemal said he's drawn to waterfront development despite its complex regulations due to his love of the water.

"Waterfront development by it nature is the most difficult to do. It's an alphabet soup of agencies you've got to deal with," he said. "But it's also ultimately the most rewarding. I grew up on the South Shore with the water there as a kid. Now, there are generations in these neighborhoods that haven't had any access. It's exciting to bring the community back to the water."

Jemal said he has had little difficulty with neighborhoods in these communities because he is not seeking variances for the properties and is providing a host of public amenities, including promenades and parks.

"The approach I'm taking is I'm not trying to change anyone's neighborhood. I'm not trying to bring Manhattan to South Brooklyn and build some sort of high rise." Jemal said. "The zoning is very strict about how you're supposed to build on the water. I don't get upset about that because I think the zoning is correct. You shouldn't be building something that's going to block your neighbor's view of the water."

Riviera homes start at around $800,000, which Jemal says is similar in price to many of the land-locked houses in the communities in which he's building. Due to this, he thinks many of the first Riviera residents will be making short moves from down the block.

"If for the same amount of money you can get a place inland with a view of the road and the gas station or you can get a beautiful townhouse with a view of the water with a boardwalk and a park, it's a no-brainer," Jemal said.