Long Island To Get Millions To Fund Local Development Projects

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday announced that more than $763 million in economic and community development funding has been awarded through Round VIII of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, including more than $68 million for Long Island.

The local Regional Councils receive pitches for how to spend money from community groups, and determine which projects will be most beneficial to the area. The projects are designed to use each region's strengths and resources to create jobs, improve quality of life and grow the economy. Since the initiative's inception in 2011, over $6.1 billion has been awarded to more than 7,300 projects that are projected to create and retain more than 230,000 jobs statewide.

"Over the last eight years, we have implemented a vision to move New York State's economy forward by allowing communities to make strategic investments to help grow their local economies and re-energize and develop their unique regions," Cuomo said. "Regional-based economic development is vital for maintaining New York's thriving, prosperous economy."

Long Island received $68.3 million for 103 projects across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Some of the biggest projects on the Island are:

• Estella Housing Infrastructure -- $1 million: Concern for Independent Living, Inc. will construct infrastructure to support a mixed-use development with affordable housing and commercial space in the Village of Hempstead.
• Nassau County Wastewater Consolidation and Long Beach Water Pollution Control Plant Diversion -- $5 million: Nassau County Department of Public Works will make improvements to its Long Beach Water Pollution Control Plant, including installing new pumping units. This project will reduce nitrogen and ammonia in the wastewater discharged to the environment
• NYU Long Island School of Medicine at Winthrop Hospital -- $1 million: NYU will establish a new Winthrop Hospital NYU Long Island School of Medicine at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola.
• Town of Hempstead Roosevelt Highway Yard Green Infrastructure Stormwater Improvements -- $1 million: The Town of Hempstead will install and implement green infrastructure practices to reduce and treat stormwater runoff from the Roosevelt Highway Yard. The project will help protect the adjacent wetland and improve nearby surface water quality.

• Patchogue Parking Garage -- $1 million: The Village of Patchogue will construct a new public parking garage to meet overall downtown development needs.

• Matinecock Court Housing Development -- $1 million: Matinecock Court Housing Development Fund Corp will construct infrastructure to support an affordable, LEED Platinum certified housing development in the Town of Huntington.
• Peconic Land Trust Regional Aquifer Land Acquisition Program Phase II -- $3 million: Peconic Land Trust is beginning Phase II of its source water protection program that acquires land within regional Special Groundwater Protection Areas and/or in close proximity to public water supply wellheads. Phase II of this program has prioritized land acquisition in the Towns of Riverhead, Southold, and Shelter Island to protect land within the Peconic Estuary and Long Island Sound Watersheds. The project will protect watersheds, groundwater recharge areas, and drinking water for public water supply wells.
• Suffolk County Sewer Extensions -- $5 million: Suffolk County will provide connections to sewers for nearly 7,500 unsewered parcels along four river corridors on the south shore of Suffolk County, replacing the use of cesspools and septic systems. This project will make the area more resilient to storm surges and reduce the nitrogen impacts to groundwater, nearby rivers and coastal wetlands.
• Village of Westhampton Beach Sewer Extension -- $5 million: The Village of Westhampton Beach will construct sanitary collection and conveyance infrastructure within the Main Street business district of the village and connect the infrastructure to the wastewater treatment facility at the Suffolk County Sewer District No. 24-Gabreski Airport. This project will reduce nitrogen loading to groundwater and surrounding water bodies from inadequate onsite systems in this area.

Over all eight rounds of Economic Council funding, Long Island has received $639.1 million to fund 791 projects. For the complete list of the Round 8 projects, click here.

Photo: Patch