Downtown revitalization

Riverhead Town Board members sharply questioned LI Science Center representatives over years of delays at 111 E. Main St. as the town weighs eminent domain.

Riverhead officials seem poised to move ahead with condemnation of the long-delayed science center building.

The Riverhead Planning Board on Thursday granted conditional approval for lot line changes needed for the town square hotel project to proceed.

The Riverhead IDA accepted a revised application resetting the PILOT timeline for 205 Osborn and a tenancy application for a Hanover Bank branch on the ground floor of the building.

A surprise Town Board vote last night set demolition of 127 East Main Street in motion, clearing the way for a Petrocelli hotel and condo project downtown. Supporters call it progress; critics say it’s rushed and secretive.

The Riverhead town square project took a giant leap forward on Tuesday, as the Town Board authorized an agreement with its master developer — an affiliate of the J. Petrocelli companies — to build a hotel, public plaza and playground downtown.

The Town Board will vote Tuesday to designate Riverhead town square master developer J. Petrocelli “qualified and eligible,” allowing the company to move forward with the construction of a hotel, public plaza and playground in the center of downtown.

Letter to the editor: The Town Board is accepting public comments only through Friday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m.  If you care about building height, parking, affordability, or preserving Riverhead’s character, now is the time to speak up.

The Riverhead town square master developer presented its vision and qualifications for developing the town square at a Town Board hearing July 22.

A July 22 public hearing is the first and probably the only chance for the public to be heard on whether they like the idea of a five-story hotel on the town square.