The Lightstone Group is getting in on the Mott Haven apartment renaissance with a $30.05 million long-term lease for land along the Harlem River waterfront that is also in an Opportunity Zone.

The giant Bronx site at 475 Exterior St., aka 60 E. 149th St., stretches for 725 feet along the river between the 145th Street Bridge and an upcoming city park. A 764,000-square-foot project can be developed there, and it is likely slated for hundreds of rental apartments and local retail. (Condominiums are not built on rented land.) The zoning also allows schools, offices and hotels.

Lightstone declined to comment on the deal or its plans, but last year it purchased seven occupied Bronx rental buildings, as was reported by the Real Deal.

The site owner, River Edge Realty, an entity of Bronx County Recycling, bought it in 1992 for $6,400, and other city documents show it signed a 49-year lease with a 50-year extension in mid-January with Lightstone. The start date of the lease was not publicly recorded, and no one returned a message left at its Bronx offices.

A person who answered the phone at the location, New York Recycling, said it has a 20-year lease and has no relation to the landowner.

The site owner, Salvatore Cascino, at times has had a thorny relationship with Columbia County where he owns 300 acres that the town contended were turned into a private dumping ground.

Cascino had been in the town of Copake’s crosshairs since 2009 for alleged illegal construction as well as alleged dumping in wetlands and some other disputes, according to local media reports.

The land is in a rezoned area of the South Bronx that is prompting the construction of what could amount to thousands of new apartments. It is also creating a rush in The Bronx to buy and convert anything with good bones, especially in the Opportunity Zones, such as this one along the river, where some of the availabilities are located.

Along the same stretch of land — repped by an Ackman-Ziff team of Jason Meister, Marion Jones and Christopher Gillis — second-round offers were due last week on a 600,000- square-foot buildable development site at 355 and 399 Exterior St., just south of the city park site.

This is also adjacent to the upcoming Brookfield apartment projects that straddle the 138th Street bridge to Manhattan.

Currently, the Ackman-Ziff team has contracts signed on 199 Lincoln Ave., 370 E. 149th St. and 3285 Third Ave., they said.

Other opportunities they are marketing include the warehouse where HBO’s “The Deuce” is wrapping up filming at 780 E. 135th St. that I told you about last month.

Also available are the adjacent 2535 Third Ave. and 260 E. 138th St., and 389 Rider Ave.

Nearby, a direct deal for the redeveloped Bronx Post Place I told you about in January is also in contract.

Since Opportunity Zone funds need to be invested soon to reap the most in tax benefits, both landowners and site buyers are hustling.

Stay tuned.