Both Amityville and Riverhead towns have been awarded $10 million each as a part of the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative. This is the fifth round of the initiative and the two communities join Westbury, Hicksville, Central Islip and Baldwin, which were the Long Island winners in the first four rounds.
The state will work with residents, community leaders and public officials to revitalize downtown areas.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said that giving local communities the resources they need to thrive is critical to New York's economic resurgence.
"Amityville and Riverhead both play important roles in the overall economic health of Long Island and I have no doubt that with this funding, they won't only recover from the impacts of COVID-19, but will flourish in the long term," said Hochul.
The communities will have to develop a strategic plan that articulates a vision for the revitalization of its downtown and identifies a list of signature projects that have the potential to transform the downtown and leverage further private and public investments. The funds will then be awarded for selected projects that have the greatest potential to jumpstart revitalization and realize the community's vision for the downtown.
In Amityville, there are multiple completed and ongoing projects to revitalize its downtown, including a pedestrian and bike lane project, multiple residential developments, and multiple mixed-use developments. To build on this momentum, Amityville wants to revitalize their train station and its immediate surrounding area, increase pedestrian/bike access, and expand green space.
Riverhead hopes to continue the momentum of completed and ongoing projects, including a new aquarium, the reopening of the Suffolk Theater, and multiple housing projects. The hamlet also looks to increase public gathering space capitalizing on the Peconic River waterfront, create new pedestrian/bike access, and improve pedestrian/bike safety.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone commented on the awards saying that they reinforce the ongoing revitalization efforts and will allow these communities to push forward with transformative projects.
"In Suffolk, our downtowns are the heart of our communities, and over the last few years, both Riverhead and Amityville have worked incredibly hard to reinvigorate their business districts and bring new life into their communities,” said Bellone.