Riverhead scored more than $4 million in funding for two downtown projects in the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council awards announced last week by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The town was awarded just over $3.5 million to help fund new sewer and water lines and road infrastructure for the Vue, a 133-unit, five-story, mixed-use building on West Main Street planned by Georgica Green Ventures.
“This project targets the ‘missing middle’ with housing for working families in a transit-oriented downtown and is positioned to serve as a catalyst for revitalization and a welcoming entry point into the community,” according to the grant award description.
Funding comes from the Pro Housing Supply Funds Program, which supports essential capital infrastructure projects — such as sewer and water system upgrades — needed to facilitate new housing development in certified Pro-
Housing Communities, according to the 20925 REDC Awards booklet. “By modernizing essential critical infrastructure, localities can unlock new and more affordable housing opportunities, attract private investment, and create more vibrant and sustainable,” the awards booklet said.
“The Pro-Housing Supply Fund awards certified Pro-Housing Communities with financing for essential infrastructure projects, such as sewer, electrical and water system upgrades, that are needed to facilitate new housing development,” according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Riverhead Town declared itself a pro-housing community in July 2024, opening it up to the state’s new grant initiatives and pledging to implement initiatives to expand its housing stock.
Riverhead also received $675,000 amphitheater in a Parks, Preservation and Heritage Grant, sourced from the Environmental Protection Fund.
The riverfront amphitheater is intended to help protect historic East Main Street from frequent coastal flooding from the Peconic River and “to recreate Downtown Riverhead as a family-friendly cultural destination that is fully accessible through creative placemaking,” the grant award said.
The Environmental Protection Fund Grants Program provides matching grants on a competitive basis for the acquisition, planning, and development of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas located within the physical boundaries of the State of New York.
The state awarded Riverhead $1.4 million for the amphitheater project earlier this year.
Supervisor Tim Hubbard did not return a call this afternoon seeking comment on the grant awards.
The town has secured about $2 million so far for the amphitheater project, according to Planning, Building and Community Development Administrator Dawn Thomas. The project will likely require an additional $ 2 million to fund both design and construction, she said, though the construction cost estimate is based on a concept plan alone since the amphitheater’s design is not yet finalized. Once finalized, the town can have bid specifications drawn and issue a bid request, Thomas said.
The state awarded $313 million through the 2025 REDC initiative “to support 381 projects statewide that will advance each region’s strategic plan and overarching state priorities,” the governor’s press release said.
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