Historical Character of Train Station Parking Lot A Priority

The Village will be undertaking a renovation of the Nassau Boulevard railroad station parking lot. With the additional demands being placed on the station due to the third track project, and with continued deterioration of the brickwork, the Village felt the station parking lot and retaining walls needed to be repaired and/or replaced.

The Village Engineering Department is currently creating a plan for renovation that will be placed out for public bid, according to Public Works Superintendent Joseph DiFrancisco. “The biggest challenge that’s faced with this work is the condition of the existing bricks. Every effort will be made to retain and reuse as many as possible, but until the job is awarded and crews can be brought in to evaluate their condition we won’t know how much can be retained,” he said. “Specifications for the job will reflect this and it will contain different plans based off of the amount of bricks that can be reused.”

The bricks are original to the station, which was built in 1907, according to Village Historian William Bellmer. The only changes that have been made are the elimination of a center island, which was replaced by asphalt, and a slight extension to the north, he noted. The Village intends on also repairing the surrounding walls, which once had terra cotta vases atop them at each station entrance.

There is $765,000 in the 2019-20 capital budget earmarked for brickwork at the station. This amount, however, is expected to be reimbursed by the Long Island Rail Road, according to Village Treasurer Irene Woo. The MTA/LIRR has created a fund for each Village that is affected by the third track project. The Village plans on applying the funds from this account to this project. “At this time it’s too early in the process to determine what the cost of this project will be due to the significant variables involved,” Mr. DiFrancisco said.

Numerous residents have contacted Mayor Theresa Trouvé feeling sentimental about the parking lot and the bricks in it. “We have to be practical and realistic. We need a good lot that takes the beating that it gets,” Mayor Trouvé said. “We all appreciate and understand that, but hopefully we can do something with those old bricks.”