$130M TOD Project For Hicksville’s
Downtown Planned Locally
A crumbling parking lot and two vacant commercial buildings in the shadow of the Hicksville Long Island Rail Road station will soon be replaced by a new $130 million mixed-use transit-oriented development (TOD), Long Island Business News (LIBN) reports. The project, from Manhattan-based developer Alpine Residential, will be a 236,000 square foot, 4-story mixed-use project consisting of 216 mixed-income residential units, 5,700 square feet of amenity space, 7,700 square feet of retail space, and two levels of underground parking, located at 99 Newbridge Road. Nineteen of the new Hicksville apartments will be designated as workforce housing and offered at reduced rents. Amenities at the complex will include co-working space, lobby lounge, yoga studio, fitness center, outdoor pool, a playground for young children, and a rooftop lounge and dog run.
According to the developer, the project is located steps from the Long Island Railroad Hicksville train station, allowing residents to enjoy fast and convenient access to New York City. The ground floor will feature four large courtyards and diverse landscaping that will integrate into Hicksville’s overall greenspace development plans and create a welcoming environment. Several ground floor retail spaces along Nelson Avenue and Newbridge Road will activate the streetscape with outdoor dining and boutique shopping.
The Town of Oyster Bay rezoned the area around the train station in 2021, three-and-a-half years after the town received a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from the state. The rezoning was largely based on planning work done over the last several years by Vision Long Island, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Hicksville Revitalization Committee, the outlet notes.
“This second mixed-use TOD project in downtown Hicksville had community support because it was planned locally,” Eric Alexander, director of Vision Long Island and co-chair of the Hicksville Downtown Revitalization Committee told the LIBN. “The Chamber of Commerce, local civics and municipal officials shaped the plan with the developer from the bottom up and that is the method for success not just in Hicksville but in communities across Long Island.”
“This is a great example of local government and community working together to provide appropriate, responsible development and residential housing. This project went forward with extensive community input, a full environmental review process and several revisions to ensure it met the needs of all, while fitting within the character for the neighborhood,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino explained to the news outlet.
Construction is set to begin in July. It will create about 370 full-time-equivalent construction jobs and take nearly two years to complete.
Riverhead might soon be home to another five-story apartment complex, Riverhead News – Review reports. The proposed project called “The Vue” is planned for the currently vacant land at the northeast corner of West Main Street and Sweezy Avenue and will tout a view of the Peconic River.
The proposal, according to the outlet, will consist of a total of 133 units, comprised of 25 studio apartments, 83 one-bedroom apartments and 25 two-bed apartments. There will be 78 parking spots on the ground floor, including four accessible stalls and four electric vehicle parking stalls. The proposal will include ground-floor commercial space and parking, plus underground parking with the apartments on the upper floors.
The applicant, Georgica Green Ventures, the same company that built the 116-unit Riverview Lofts on East Main Street and is also working on the proposed Transit Oriented Development on Railroad Avenue, will offer these apartments at market value.
This project, the outlet points out, will fall outside the town’s 500-unit limit on downtown apartments. That cap only applies to the Downtown Center-1 district (DC-1), whereas this project would be in the DC-3 zone. Summerwind Square, built on Peconic Avenue in 2013, followed by Peconic Crossing on West Main Street, Woolworth Apartments and Riverhead Lofts on East Main Street, were each classified workforce housing. Since then, most of the new apartments built in Riverhead have been market-rate developments.
“This is definitely a depressed area, so something along this nature is monumental to gentrifying the area,” Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar told Riverhead News Review.
The Town of Riverhead initiated a second attempt to complete its comprehensive plan update recently during a workshop at The Suffolk, Riverhead News Review reports. About 100 people gathered to weigh in on the issues that should get priority as the update proceeds.
The comprehensive plan update has taken longer than expected because the Town Board fired the company it originally hired to lead the effort back in June, the outlet notes. That company, AKRF Environmental Planning and Engineering Consultants of Holbrook, was hired in October 2019 and had been on the job for nearly three years at the time of the dismissal. Officials cited slow progress on the update as a reason for parting ways with AKRF. In January, the town hired BFJ Planning of Manhattan to finish the update, at a cost of $422,000.
Several concerns raised during the meeting included:
Quality of life
Pace of development
Preserving the environment
Transparency
Potential for an overabundance of industrial warehouses and similar developments along Route 25 in Calverton.
Warehousing and the associated noise and pollution
Character of the town
Agriculture
Transfer of development rights
Transportation
Code enforcement
Housing
Economic development in both commercial and industrial areas, as well as downtown
Groundbreaking For $45M Mineola
Project Planned Locally
Blue Communities, a New York-based developer, recently hosted a groundbreaking for its 45 million, six-story, 101,000-square-foot luxury boutique rental apartment building called The Royal Blue, located at 101 Searing Avenue, Mineola.
Expected to be completed in 2024, the 54-unit development will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 875-1,435 square feet. Pricing will start at $3,500 per month. The project will have a mix of 46 one-bedroom units and eight two-bedroom units, ranging in size from 875 square feet to 1,435 square feet. Six of the apartments will be designated as workforce housing and offered at reduced rents.
A short distance from Long Island Railroad, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, amenities will include a rooftop with jacuzzi and pickleball court, fitness center, pet spa, and a common space lounge and business center.
“We could not be more excited to bring more housing in Nassau, especially with a product like The Royal Blue,” said Doron Pergament, principal of Blue Communities said in a statement. “Having grown up in nearby Herricks, this area holds a soft spot in my heart and I, along with the rest of the Blue team, are eager to bring this development to life and as we do so, will hold ourselves to the highest standard of luxury living.”
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by State Senator Jack Martins, Mineola Mayor Paul Pereira, and Mineola Village Trustees Paul Cusato, Janine Sartori, Jeffrey Clark, and Donna Solosky, Long Island Business News reports.
Huntington renamed Spring Road Saturday in honor of the late Bishop Norris Porter, a man recalled for his dedication to serving his community, Huntington Now reports.
Bishop Norris Porter, who served the Huntington community for more than 50 years, passed away last September. Born in 1939, Bishop Porter graduated from Walt Whitman High School and eventually become a minister. He co-founded Christian Charities Deliverance Church in 1974, the outlet reports, and led efforts to help members of the community with food insecurity, housing issues, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and employment.
In a ceremony held to unveil a sign bearing his name at the intersection of Nassau and Spring Roads, speakers hailed his commitment to Huntington and to his faith, Huntington Now reports. “It is a fitting tribute to rename Spring Road, the road leading to Christian Charities Deliverance Church, to Bishop Norris Porter Way, Spring Road, as an acknowledgment to his dedication and service to the people and the community he loved and inspired,” Town Councilman Sal Ferro stated.
Surgeon General:
We Have Become a Lonely Nation.
It’s Time to Fix That
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, the 21st Surgeon General of the United States, published a valuable, and at times personal, opinion piece in the April 30, 2023 edition of the New York Times.
Dr. Murthy focused his letter on loneliness, isolation and ways to address what is a serious and growing crisis in the United States.
Drawing on his own personal experiences, Dr. Murthy describes how he found himself struggling with loneliness in 2017, at the time his first stint as surgeon general ended. “I was suddenly disconnected from the colleagues with whom I had spent most of my waking hours. It might not have been so bad had I not made a critical mistake: I had largely neglected my friendships during my tenure, convincing myself that I had to focus on work and I couldn’t do both,” Dr. Murthy reveals. “Even when I was physically with the people I loved, I wasn’t present… After my job ended, I felt ashamed to reach out to friends I had ignored. I found myself increasingly lonely and isolated, and it felt as if I was the only one who felt that way. Loneliness — like depression, with which it can be associated — can chip away at your self-esteem and erode your sense of who you are. That’s what happened to me.”
.
Using this as a springboard, the Surgeon General discusses the reality in America: At any moment, about one out of every two Americans is experiencing measurable levels of loneliness, no matter one’s age, economic stratus or personality. “Sometimes loneliness is set off by the loss of a loved one or a job, a move to a new city, or health or financial difficulties — or a once-in-a-century pandemic,” Dr. Murthy explains. “Other times, it’s hard to know how it arose but it’s simply there. One thing is clear: Nearly everyone experiences it at some point. But its invisibility is part of what makes it so insidious. We need to acknowledge the loneliness and isolation that millions are experiencing and the grave consequences for our mental health, physical health and collective well-being.”
The Surgeon General explains the depth of the problem and its consequences, “Loneliness and isolation hurt whole communities. Social disconnection is associated with reduced productivity in the workplace, worse performance in school, and diminished civic engagement. When we are less invested in one another, we are more susceptible to polarization and less able to pull together to face the challenges that we cannot solve alone.”
“Given these extraordinary costs, rebuilding social connection must be a top public health priority for our nation,” Dr. Murthy recognizes. To meet this challenge, this week he will be proposing a national framework to rebuild social connection and community in America.
This agenda will include:
Strengthening social infrastructure, the programs, policies, and structures that aid the development of healthy relationships – in schools, the workplace and in communities.
Renegotiating our relationship with technology, creating space in our lives without our devices so we can be more present with one another. That also means choosing not to take part in online dialogues that amplify judgment and hate instead of understanding.
Taking steps in our personal lives to rebuild our connection to one another — and small steps can make a big difference.
Reflecting on this article, Elissa Kyle, Placemaking Director at Vision Long Island, adds, “Even before the pandemic and work from home, we have been gradually making it harder for people to have casual social encounters with people outside their household. We have been spending more and more time and money on our private spaces and less on and in our public spaces. We walk less and know fewer of our neighbors. We need to invest more in our public spaces to give people more opportunities for socialize friends, neighbors and even strangers.”
Every generation is called to take on challenges that threaten the underpinnings of society. Addressing the crisis of loneliness and isolation is one of our generation’s greatest challenges. “This work will take all of us: schools, workplaces, community organizations, government, health workers, public health professionals, individuals, families and more working together,” Dr. Murthy counsels.
“If loneliness and isolation have left you struggling with distressing feelings,” he advises, “reach out to someone supportive or your health care providers, and if it is a crisis, call 988. And if you go through significant social changes, be open with your health care providers about them, as this may help them understand and manage potential health effects.”
“By building more connected lives and more connected communities, we can strengthen the foundation of our individual and collective well-being and we can be better poised to respond to the threats we are facing as a nation,” Dr. Murthy concludes.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound with approximately $10 million for grants in 2023
All proposed projects must be within the Long Island Sound watershed boundary. Project eligibility is also limited by geography depending on the project type:
Habitat restoration projects must fall within the Long Island Sound Coastal Watershed boundary in Connecticut (CT) and New York (NY). Resilience, water quality and fish passage projects may be in any portion of the Long Island Sound Study Area in CT and NY. Education and outreach projects may be in any portion of the Long Island Sound Study Area in CT and NY. Projects may also occur in communities outside this boundary in those states as long as content concerns the health and living resources of the Sound. Nitrogen/nutrient prevention projects may occur anywhere in the Sound watershed of CT, NY, Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), and Vermont (VT) as shown in the Long Island Sound Watershed map.
Full Proposal Due Date: Thursday, May 10, 2023 by 11:59 PM.
To assist with the revitalization of the meetings and events industry, New York State has allocated $25 million for the Meet In New York Grant Program.
Empire State Development's Division of Tourism will award grants to qualifying New York State event venues and lodging properties as they competitively bid on new meeting and event business. The program will subsidize a portion of negotiated client discounts, up to $2 million dollars, on meeting space rental fees and group overnight lodging rates. To capitalize on the economic impact of the program, eligible event types will be limited to those that drive tourism and visitors to New York State.
This grant:
Does not require a match
Is not a loan, and does not need to be paid back
Is open to all venues that host conferences, meetings, convention, tradeshows and events
Is for events that take place prior to 12/31/25
To be eligible for grants, applicants must:
Be incorporated in New York State, or licensed or registered to do business in New York State
Have experienced economic harm resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by a year-to-year decrease of at least 15% of gross receipts and/or gross wages between 2019 and 2020
Have event facilities that accommodate a minimum capacity of 50 people.
Completed applications are due by June 30, 2023. Required event completion date 12/31/2025.
For more information, please contact Ms. Man-Li Lin, Economic Development Specialist, New York District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration at Man-li.lin@sba.gov.
Saturday May 13, 2023
On Saturday, May 13, 2023, the National Association of Letter Carriers and the United States Postal Service will be holding its annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
Letter carriers will be collecting nonperishable food donations, including cereals, pastas and canned goods, diapers, toothpaste and other personal-care items, to be left by donors residential mailboxes.
All Long Island donations will flow this year to Island Harvest, replenishing its network of food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency feeding programs.
The food drive, cancelled by COVID in 2020 and 2021, has collected more than 1.75 billion pounds of food from donors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“Participating in Stamp Out Hunger is easy,” noted Island Harvest Food Bank President and CEO Randi Shubin Dresner. “I am confident that the past generosity displayed by our Long Island neighbors will help make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive one of the most successful.”
Photo courtesy of Greenport Village
2023 Greenport Cherry Blossom Festival
Through May 31st
Greenport’s Cherry Blossom Festival, sponsored by Greenport BID and AgroCouncil, runs through the month of May.
The Cherry Blossom Festival Petal Tour follows, running through May 31st. It is a chance to connect with nature, explore the walking Village of Greenport and support small businesses in Greenport.
Free walking maps for this self-guided tour, available at the AgroCouncil information center in the lobby of the Greenporter Hotel and the AgroCouncil website, show the location of the trees, labeled by variety, as well as participating businesses, offering blossom-themed refreshments and gifts. Click here for more information.
Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICH) was founded in 1985 as a grassroots local advocacy effort to bring non-profits and other community partners together to unite around the cause of homelessness, seeking to expand and enhance services to meet local needs. Its mission is “To end homelessness on Long Island, and alleviate the issues associated with homelessness and poverty for homeless and at-risk persons in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.” LICH has expanded services to continually align with local community needs and approaches that evidence shows to be most effective in addressing homelessness.
Right now, LICH has two calls to action:
1. Veterans Community Garden – Starting on April 5th, community service hours are available to help with the organic vegetable garden located on the north side of Amityville Community Resource Center, 600 Albany Avenue, Amityville. The Garden Club meets Wednesdays, 4 PM to 7 PM from April through November. Email Bailey at Briekkinen@addressthehomeless.org for more information or to RSVP.
2. The Scott Martella Supply Our School Drive, May through July 26, 2023. Items needed include backpacks, folders, notebooks, pens, lunchboxes, glue sticks, binders, index cards, scissors, calculators, highlighters, hand sanitizer and more. For more information visit www.addressthehomeless.org or Facebook/backpackpirates.
Times are tough, let’s all extend a helping hand.
Modern Asian Folk Art
on Display in Westbury
Through May 27th
Through May 27th, Westbury Arts is celebrating AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Heritage Month with an exhibit by Joan Kim Suzuki, a Korean-American artist.
Suzuki’s art is told through two different series of vivid paintings—one showing the beauty of her multicultural Korean/Japanese/American heritage and the other chronicling her grandmother’s arduous journey, walking from Manchuria to Korea during World War II, with her infant son, Suzuki’s father.
The artist says her mission is to show the beauty of her multi-cultural heritage and to honor the resilience of her grandmother. “I grew up confused about my identity, not sure whether I should identify as Korean or American,” says the Jericho resident. In her youth, Suzuki frequently traveled to Korea to visit relatives. She also visited her grandfather in Japan. Her work draws from the many similarities and great differences in the Korean and Japanese cultures.
Gallery hours are: Thursdays from 12 noon until 4 pm; Fridays from 2 pm until 6 pm; Saturdays from 10 am until 2 pm. Westbury Arts is located at 255 Schenck, just off Post Avenue, in Westbury. Admission is free.
This exhibition is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Huntington Arts Council.
Mother's Day Cupcake Give-Away
Friday through Sunday, May 12th – 14th
Customers are encouraged to shop local on Mother's Day Weekend. Bring your proof of purchase to participating local bakeries for a FREE cupcake; Crazy Cakes, The One Bakery Store, Saint Honore Pastry Shop, Schmear Bagel & Café, and Steiner’s Pastry Shop. (Restaurants/dining receipts are not eligible)
The Baldwin Civic Association, in collaboration with Vision Long Island, US Green Building Council of Long Island, Let’s Move LI, Transit Solutions and other partners and sponsors, and in celebration of National Bike Month, will be hosting a fun and inclusive event that brings together people of all ages and abilities to celebrate the joy of cycling.
There will be a bicycle clinic for free safety checks and training, followed by a group walk/ride around the neighborhood. The purpose of this event is to create an opportunity for Baldwin residents to meet new people, explore the community, get active and promote physical fitness as well as more sustainable modes of transportation.
The event will be held on May 13th and will run from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The bicycle clinic will start at Baldwin Park’s parking lot between the hockey rink and tennis courts for an hour and by 11:00 AM, it will proceed as a walk & bike parade on Wolfson Drive.
This event will also give local merchants along Atlantic Avenue the opportunity to promote their businesses via discount coupons or promotional items synergizing opportunities for all.
Join with the Baldwin Civic Association to support this fun and inclusive event to help create a more vibrant and sustainable community.
Port Promenade
May 18th & June 15th
Port Promenade will be held on two Thursday evenings, May 18 and June 15, from 5 PM to 10 PM. The street festival will take the best of Port Outdoors and add more activities and games for families to complement the shopping, live music and, of course, outdoor dining. This year the pedestrian-only section will be Main Street, Port Washington from Port Washington Blvd to Library Drive. The Port Washington BID organizing committee is bringing in fun activities, including corn hole, kids dance party and games. Live entertainment by local musicians will be featured on 3 different stages each evening. Of course, attendees can choose from nearly 30 participating restaurants and eateries for outdoor dining.
Saturday, May 20, 2023,
12 PM to 4:30 PM
(rain date - Sunday, May 21)
The Grand Baldwin Festival has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 12 PM to 4:30 PM (rain date - Sunday, May 21). It will be held in the Municipal Parking Lot behind the Baldwin Public Library, 2385 Grand Avenue, Baldwin.
The festival, sponsored by the Community Coalition of Baldwin, is a celebration of the Baldwin community featuring a pop-up marketplace, food vendors, musical performances, an art showcase, and various activities for all ages. It brings together all of Baldwin’s key stakeholders, including residents, business owners, non-profit organizations, and houses of worship to strengthen pride in our community and promote a vibrant business environment.
Funds raised from the festival will be used to implement community-building projects and events that bring Baldwinities together, in addition to funding scholarships for Baldwin students that give back to the community.
Each Memorial Day Weekend, East End Arts in Riverhead unleashes the creativity of the neighborhood and brings the community together for the Mosaic Street Painting Festival.
For one day, East End Arts converts the Downtown Riverhead area by the Peconic River into a celebration of the arts. It’s a day to stroll, enjoy the fresh air, watch artists in action, and participate in family-oriented activities. Music fills the air as do the enticing smells of the local food trucks.
Artists, musicians, and art lovers of all ages participate or watch as artists convert squares of the street into vibrant and moving works of art.
There’s something for everyone at this family-friendly event:
Street Painting for all ages and skill levels
Live Music
Interactive Art
Kids Zone
Craft & Artisan Vendors
Food Trucks & Local Restaurants
Fine Arts Sale
Drum Circle
Dance & Theatre performances
The event will be held on Sunday, May 28th, from 12 PM to 5 PM.
For 17 years, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (LIHCC) honors women who are exceptional business leaders, community advocates, as well as inspirational role models. This event celebrates women in the workforce and recognizes their contribution to the Hispanic and minority communities they serve.
The 17th Annual Latina Hat Luncheon will be held on May 31st at the Crescent Beach Club in Bayville, from 11 AM to 3 PM.
To support this event and to celebrate its distinguished honorees, payment for Individual Member, Non-Member tickets and event journal advertisements are secured via credit card by calling the office at (516) 333-0105. Please RSVP by May 19, 2023.
The Canton of Lions End, in the Crown Province of Østgarðr returns to the Village Green in Farmingdale for the third annual Farmingdale Medieval History Day on Saturday June 3rd, from 10 AM to 4 PM, 361 Main Street.
The fighters and fencers, wearing medieval clothing of different centuries, will show off their prowess and their splendid armor (internal rules forbid audience participation in the fighting, but they can answer questions). Tournament participants will choose a child in the crowd to champion and token prizes will be given to the winners of the tournaments. Artisans of all sorts will display their work and give children and
their parents, hands-on time to explore their crafts. Learn how to write in the Medieval fashion and what Calligraphy entails. See how embroidery was done, see how glass beads were made in the Middle Ages. Play games that were created hundreds of years ago, but are still fun to play today.
There will also be several merchants selling items relevant to the modern Middle Ages, such as hand-made soaps. The event is FREE, intended for all ages. Rain date is June 10th.
June 11, 2023
Long Island's gay pride parade and festival will return to Huntington on June 11, six years after the event moved to Long Beach, Huntington NOW reports.
The parade will march along Gerard Street to Main Street to Heckscher Park, where the festival will be held. The Town Board is expected to take up a resolution to approve the festival at its next meeting on May 9. “Welcome home to Huntington. It’s a big town and a diverse community and we welcome everybody,” Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth told the outlet.
The festival in Heckscher Park will include music, food, a pavilion for families, and a beer and wine garden.
Please Join us for a special interview with Dan Burden as he discusses Complete Streets issues with Vision Long Island staff and David Sabatino.
Please Join us for a Special interview with Economic and Community Development Expert Chuck Lesnick........Check it out!!
Please Join us for a special interview with Laretta Nkwocha, The owner of Laretta's British Ginger Tea........Check it out!!
Please join us for a special interview with the Supervisor of the Town Of Islip, Angie Carpenter........Check it out!!!
Please join us for a special interview with The President of The Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce Sasan Shavanson......Check it out!!
Please Join us for a special interview with Mike Florio....Check it out!!!!
Please join us for a special interview with Hon. Taylor Darling.......Check it out!!!
Long Island Main Street News
Contributors:
Eric Alexander, Director; Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director; Elissa Kyle, Placemaking Director;
Linda Henninger, Outreach Coordinator; Jen Makaw, Communications Consultant
We strive to provide continued quality publications like this every week. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to ea@visionlongisland.org for consideration.
If you are interested in becoming a Long Island Main Street News sponsor,
please call or text 631-804-9128 for rates and opportunities.
