The new Riverhead Town Square, the Suffolk Theater, a mixed-use building on Griffing Avenue and five other projects in Riverhead’s downtown will receive a piece of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant award by New York State.
New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez announced the projects funded, along with the projects funded for the Village of Amityville’s award, during a press conference today at the Amityville Firehouse attended by Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, Riverhead Community Development officials and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio.
The projects funded and the amounts they are funded are as follows:
- $3.24 million Upper town square, sponsored by Riverhead Town
- $245,000 Waterfront park, playground and coastal resiliency, sponsored by Riverhead Town
- $2.75 million Griffing Avenue mixed-use development/parking garage, sponsored by RXR and Georgica Green Ventures
- $2 million Suffolk Theater expansion, sponsored by Suffolk Theater
- $215,000 Riverhead Free Library entrance and welcome center, sponsored by Riverhead Free Library
- $250,000 Downtown art program, sponsored by Business Improvement District/East End Tourism Alliance
- $250,000 Town riverfront rowing facility, sponsored by Riverhead Town
- $750,000 Main Street pedestrian enhancement, sponsored by Riverhead Town
Overall, 10 projects were submitted by the Local Planning Committee, made up of town officials, local business leaders and representatives from the state, and recommended for funding. The committee’s recommendations totaled just over $13.4 million.
“Combined, all of these projects will help attract tourists to come enjoy the wine area that’s happening, enjoy the beaches, enjoy the waterfront and all the things that make Riverhead and Long Island in general a unique place to visit,” Rodriguez said.
“But what we know is this isn’t just about tourists. This isn’t just about folks who are coming to visit,” Rodriguez said. “It’s about increasing and improving the quality of life for the residents who are here to be able to attract our children to stay in the community that they grew up in, provide the amenities that will allow them to easily return after the little stint in the city or whatever else they’re doing, but recognizing that the downtown’s of Amityville and Riverhead are just as attractive for raising families and supporting communities when they’re invested in.”
Two projects recommended by the committee, the Long Island Science Center and the Riverfront Amphitheater, did not receive funding.
The grants will give a much needed boost to long-planned downtown revitalization projects sponsored by Riverhead Town, as well as help several multi million dollar projects sponsored by for-profit developers.
“For millions around the world, this is the season of believing. Thank you, Governor Hochul for believing in Riverhead,” Aguiar said. “Best Christmas gift Riverhead can ever get.”
In her remarks after Rodriguez’s presentation, Aguiar thanked former Greenport Mayor Dave Kapell, the member of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council who co-chaired the local planning committee with her, as well as Community Development Director Dawn Thomas and the rest of the local planning committee for their work.
She also gave special recognition to Sister Margaret Rose Smyth, a member of the local planning committee and a community advocate, who died this week.
Kapell said that Riverhead’s DRI award brings the town closer to realizing the potential of the downtown area. “I truly believe that the projects that we’ve come up with are going to be the inspiration for revitalization of Downtown Riverhead that will bring it back to the center of life that it has always been on Long Island,” he said.
He also sent Rodriguez back to Albany with a message: “Electrify the line from Ronkonkoma to Riverhead,” he said. “That will truly change the game for the entire East End of Long Island.”
Thomas said in an interview after the meeting that she is “very gratified and excited for our town and looking forward to implementing the projects.”
“We could not be more grateful to the state for what they did for us and seeing the vision,” she said.
Giglio said in an interview that she “couldn’t think of a better way to spend the $10 million from the state.”
“What magnificent projects,” she said. “The town and the CDA and supervisor, and the Town Board did a great job pulling it all together and wrapping it up.”
The Downtown Revitalization Initiative is a grant project run by the New York Department of State. New York State announced Riverhead received a $10 million award in January as a part of the fifth round of the program.
The state will enter into contracts with project sponsors to receive the funding, according to state officials.
Here are the most up-to-date details we know about the projects being funded:
Upper town square, sponsored by Riverhead Town. (Received $3.24, committee recommended $3.24 million)
The upper town square will be located opposite the Suffolk Theater and serve as a connector between Main Street and the Peconic Riverfront. Lining the east side of the center is a boutique hotel planned by town-designated master developer J. Petrocelli Development Associates, while the west side of the square is lined by the Long Island Science Center’s new museum.
The award received by the DRI will go towards the public space portion of the square, which could include moveable tables and chairs, oversized games, outdoor dining, small performance space, a seasonal holiday tree and be used as a flexible event space, according to a presentation to the Town Board made in October.
MORE COVERAGE: Town Board gets updated look at Town Square ideas during ‘activation plan’ presentation
The town purchased three buildings on Main Street for $4.85 million to build the Town Square. Two of the buildings have already been demolished, the land seeded with grass and will begin this month as a location for holiday events. The other building, which currently holds the bar Craft’d and the offices of the Chamber of Commerce, is planned to be sold to Petrocelli and demolished to construct the hotel.
A master developer agreement with J. Petrocelli Development Associates for the Town Square project is still being negotiated, Community Development Director Dawn Thomas said in October. The agreement is expected to be finalized late this year or early next year, after which the town would be required to hold a qualified and eligible sponsor hearing to execute the agreement and sell or lease the land. Terms of the agreement being negotiated include the operation and maintenance of the public space by the developer.
MORE COVERAGE: Town Board names Petrocelli master developer of town square
Waterfront park, playground and coastal resiliency, sponsored by Riverhead Town (Received $245,000, committee recommended $1.6 million)
The waterfront park and playground is planned for south of the Town Square plaza area. Plans for the public space include a playground and park, a food and beverage cabana next to the park for parents, and a shallow play pond. This area can also act as a part of the Town Square’s larger goal of acting as an event space.
The area is a part of a larger plan to revitalize the Peconic Riverfront and Heidi Behr Way. The area would be constructed on a raised ground plane and act as a coastal resiliency wall.
Griffing Avenue mixed-use development/parking garage, sponsored by RXR and Georgica Green Ventures (Received $2.75 million, committee recommended $2.75 million)
Transit-oriented development joint master developers RXR and Georgica Green Ventures will receive funding for one element of their plan: the mixed-use development along Griffing Avenue on a lot currently occupied by a parking lot for the Suffolk County Supreme Court. The building would sit facing the street, with a parking garage behind it, and have 36 workforce apartments and ground floor commercial space.
Riverhead issued a request for proposals for the project in March 2021 and declared RXR/GGV master developers in February. The developers were deemed a qualified and eligible sponsor for the project under the State Urban Renewal Law on Oct. 4.
Suffolk Theater expansion, sponsored by Suffolk Theater (Received $2 million, committee recommended $2 million)
The Suffolk Theater, the art deco cinema space on Main Street that has been revived in the last decade into a live entertainment venue, is proposing an addition to the existing theater building that will include the expansion of its stage, the addition of green room and other back of the house functions.
The theater is also undergoing a five-story mixed-use expansion with 28 residential apartments and commercial space facing the First Street parking lot. The project currently has a site plan application approved by the Town Board.
Riverhead Free Library entrance and welcome center, sponsored by Riverhead Free Library (Received $215,000, committee recommended $215,000)
The Riverhead Free Library is proposing the construction of a new entrance facing Main Street, complete with a new walkway, lighting and landscaping. The new entrance would include a welcome center with information about local businesses and events.
The proposal also includes a new sign facing the Center Drive bridge that could be used to advertise town events.
Downtown art program, sponsored by Business Improvement District/East End Tourism Alliance (Received $250,000, committee recommended $250,000)
The Riverhead Business Improvement District and East End Tourism Alliance have proposed funding for five to seven permanent light sculptures in Grangebel Park. The sculptures would be a part of the Reflextions: Art in the Park exhibit, although the proposal has been expanded to include the whole DRIk area.
Town riverfront rowing facility, sponsored by Riverhead Town (Received $250,000, committee recommended $250,000)
Located on the Peconic Riverfront, the riverfront rowing facility would be a small scale boat house for use as a launching facility for local rowers. The project was supported by local community members throughout the DRI process, including members of the East End Rowing Institute.
Main Street pedestrian enhancement, sponsored by Riverhead Town (Received $750,000, committee recommended $750,000)
This town-sponsored project would enhance a stretch of East Main Street between Roanoke and Maple Avenues by adding curb bump outs, enhancing crosswalks by lighting or raising them, and adding new street trees and landscaping.
Projects that were not funded
Long Island Science Center, sponsored by LISC (committee recommended $1 million)
The Long Island Science Center purchased 111 East Main Street for a new museum in early 2020, although plans for revitalizing the building have not yet been presented to the town. The building sits on the west side of the Town Square and is considered to be a major source of activation for the square.
The science center has already received a $1.12 million grant from New York State to help construct exhibits in the museum, including a rooftop planetarium, functional agritech and wind/solar exhibit and a maker space.
Town officials have also said there are talks to relocate Craft’d, the bar that currently operates in the town owned building on the east side of the square, into the ground floor of the building.
Waterfront amphitheater and coastal resiliency, sponsored by Riverhead Town Committee recommended $1.35 million)
A part of the overall vision of the Town Square, the waterfront amphitheater would be constructed adjacent to the square on the campus of East End Arts as a space for outdoor concerts and shows. The amphitheater would support more than 2,000 spectators.
The amphitheater would also be constructed on a raised ground plane and act as a coastal resiliency wall. The layout of the East End Arts campus would have to change to accommodate the amphitheater, under a proposal aired as a part of the Riverfront Activation Plan presentation.
Editors note: This article has been amended after original publication to include comments from town and state officials said during the press conference and in interviews following the DRI announcement
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