Glen Cove Gets Nod for 'Smart' Vision

The RXR Glen Isle Waterfront Revitalization Project was one of 13 honorees at Vision Long Island's Ninth Annual Smart Growth Awards Friday. The award marked the fifth time the City of Glen Cove has been recognized by the organization.

Officials at Vision, a not-for-profit organization that, among other things, "educates, advocates and provides technical assistance on Smart Growth projects," according to its website, touted the waterfront venture as one that will help boost the city's economy as well as help to keep young people residing on the Island.  

The project, a $1 billion property remediation and development venture that is slated to transform 56-acres of a brownfield site into a walkable downtown community, was presented with the Creating a Mix of Uses Award, because of its residential, transit, retail and open space design. It is expected to include a hotel, townhouses, office space, restaurants and a intra-city shuttle, among other features. 

Eric Alexander, Vision's executive director, said the organization aims each year to commend residents, elected officials, developers and others who have taken an active role in the Smart Growth movement on the Island. The initiative is one that pushes for, among other things, the creation of transit-oriented and walkable downtown areas as well as mixed-use development in revitalization and expansion projects. 

"Vision honors doers," Alexander said. "We don't just honor those with ideas, we honor those who turn these ideas into action." 

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano (R-Bethpage), who was the guest speaker at the event, said elected officials need to push partisanship aside to bring revitalization projects and other goals in the county to fruition. 

And it appears that the stakeholders involved with the waterfront venture have provided an example of Mangano's sentiments since the RXR-Glen Isle Partners — a private group of developers, architects, consultants and other businesses — and the city have joined forces to revamp the property along Garvies Point Road.

The award, RXR-Glen Isle representatives said, is another example of how leaders on the Island continue to show their support for the project, which is currently at the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQR, phase, another step that has to be completed by law before construction can begin.  

"It's great to be honored by Vision Long Island today because this organization has a lot of credibility in terms of recognizing projects that are really making a difference," said Matthew Frank, the Executive Vice President of RexCorp Realty. "... There are a lot of things such as housing, recreation, transportation and others that will make this waterfront project valuable to the people of Glen Cove ... and it's very significant and we're very happy that it's moving forward." 

Share your thoughts about this story below. Patch wants to hear from you.