New Town Square To Connect Riverhead's Main Street To Riverfront

RIVERHEAD, NY — Riverhead officials moved forward Thursday with a plan to revitalize and transform the downtown area with a new Town Square.

At a press briefing held Thursday at the site of the former Swezey’s Department Store downtown, Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette M. Aguiar, along with members of the Riverhead town board and Director of Community Development Dawn Thomas, announced that after receiving $800,000 in grant funding from New York State Empire Development, the town had signed a letter of intent to purchase two properties, 117 and 121 East Main Street — along with the option to purchase 127 East Main Street.

The parcels were purchased with an eye toward creating a Town Square that would connect Main Street to the Peconic Riverfront.

A public hearing on the plan will be held at Riverhead Town Hall on July 21 at 2:05 p.m.

“Today, we are moving Riverhead forward and entering a renaissance," Aguiar said.

In addition to the grant funding, Aguiar said the town will utilize public-private partnerships to
leverage existing town-owned property to complete the project. Acquisition of the
three properties was the necessary first step "to put downtown Riverhead on the path to
true revitalization, something that is long overdue," a release from Aguiar said.

The effort, town officials said, will benefit the entire community by providing public open spaces, entertainment, and event spaces as well as retail and dining options, all while promoting tourism.

The Riverhead Industrial Development Agency has worked with the Community Development Agency on the project.

The project, Thomas said, will “create a public space for all town residents, including family friendly activities and outdoor activities.” She added: "Riverhead is receiving a heart transplant. It’s a tremendous credit to this unified town board and its leadership to have finally committed to this vision. In fact, this town board has moved the ball further down the field in the last six months than in the last 20 years."

Former Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, hoping to win the Democratic primary in a race for New York State Assembly, applauded the development.

"Today Riverhead Town has moved one step closer to achieving the goal of downtown Revitalization with the acquisition of several buildings to create a Town Square," she said on social media. "This square will be a centerpiece for connecting Main Street with the waterfront, a goal that has long been talked about."

Jens-Smith also acknowledged the work of Riverhead Town Councilwoman Catherine Kent, who chairs the downtown revitalization committee. "The future is looking bright. Great news!" she wrote.

After being awarded separate grants from Empire State Development in December, Riverhead town officials and the Long Island Science Center in February announced two adjacent projects in the heart of downtown Riverhead they said would play "significant roles in transforming the riverfront business district," according to a release.

The Town Square project, a release in February said, would repurpose some existing town-owned riverfront parking as public gathering spaces, with performance spaces, splash fountains and permeable brick/stone pathways interspersed with rain gardens behind the new Town Square. The rain/river friendly areas will provide amenities for community members while also helping capture the occasional flooding experienced near the Peconic River, the release said. In addition, the site will include interactive environmental learning stations.

In addition, the Long Island Science Center was awarded a $775,000 grant through the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council to support its expansion to a building adjacent to the proposed Town Square.

The Science Center reopened a demonstration space in January, 2019, in Riverhead after selling their East Main Street, Riverhead location, a development that marked the beginning of its long-term expansion plan.

Plans for the new Long Island Science Center location, the release said, include more than 6,000 square feet of exhibition space, a new dedicated MakerSpace, and four classrooms. The new exhibition space will incorporate many of the current programs and expand capacity to also allow for new offerings.