Southampton Town was awarded a $1 million grant from New York State to help fund two projects in Riverside.
The funding will be used to help demolish and reconstruct two vacant buildings: the former diner on the traffic circle and the former Peconic Paddler site on Peconic Avenue.
Medical offices and workforce apartments are planned for the site of the long-vacant diner.
The former Peconic Paddler site at 89 Peconic Avenue will be demolished to build an outdoor kayaking recreation facility and a restaurant serving customer traffic from the recreation facility and area businesses, according to a press release issued by the governor’s office.
“This is exactly the kind of catalyst we’ve been looking for to spur economic development in the Riverside area,” Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said.
The funding is part of the governor’s Restore New York Communities Initiative. The governor announced yesterday the state has awarded $2.8 million to several Long Island and New York City communities, including Riverside.
The Restore New York Communities Initiative was enacted in the 2017 state budget. To date, nearly $81 million has been awarded to 71 projects statewide.
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