Riverhead Town is slated to receive more than $12 million in funding for a sewage treatment plant upgrade, County Executive Steve Bellone announced Monday at a press conference at the Riverhead sewage treatment plant on River Avenue.
“We have so many precious natural resources, none greater than our clean water, that we must protect, but we also know we need to grow our economy. So we need to do that in a sustainable way,” Bellone said.
Riverhead received the highest award of a total $28 million in funding recommendations for projects “promoting long-term growth, environmental sustainability elements and a focus on transit-oriented development,” according to the county.
The recommendations were made by the Suffolk County sewer infrastructure committee, and will be eligible for a vote at the Oct. 8 general meeting after resolutions are introduced this week.
Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski said the proposed funds are planned for projects that are ready for construction. He called the allotments “real money that is going to make a real impact today.”
The plant’s increased capacity will absorb the needs of the 500 housing units planned for downtown. Capacity will increase from 1.2 million gallons per day to 1.5 million.
The project carries an estimated price tag of $22 million. An $8.09 million grant and an additional $2 million investment from the town — on top of $1 million already spent by the town on design and engineering — would leave $12 million Riverhead Town would need to borrow.
“Funding the upgrade of sewage treatment facilities to protect our surface and coastal waters is a terrific use of the quarter-cent sales tax funds,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The public voted yes to clean water and this upgrade provides for clean water. Protecting drinking and surface waters on our island needs to be given the highest priority and allocating these funds to Riverhead achieves this goal.”
Besides the sewer plant upgrade, Woolworth Revitalization, LLC is set to receive a total of $800,000 for renovations to the old Woolworth building, the ground floor of which is currently leased to a gym and a bagel store. Nineteen affordable rental units are planned for the space above. Eleven would be funded with $550,000 in Federal HOME Investment Partnership program funds.
Another $75,000 will come from the town via the New York Main Street Program.
Bellone praised the project for the inclusion of affordable housing.
“We have a lack of that that is necessary to retain our young people here and to attract more young people – that young, creative class that is necessary to build an innovation economy,” he said.
Town of Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter issued a statement on the announcement thanking Bellone for recognizing Riverhead as an “economic engine for eastern Suffolk.”
“With his help, we will continue to create jobs and protect our fragile environment,” Walter said.
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