An interview with Kevan Abrahams

Legislator Kevan Abrahams, a 47-year-old father of two who lives in Freeport and represents Legislative District 1, knows exactly what he hopes to accomplish in 2022: road repairs, a major park upgrade, affordable housing on the Freeport-Roosevelt border, revitalizing the Freeport armory, and progress on the Hub development in Uniondale.

But in the midst of all this, for Abrahams and his staff, Covid-19’s impact is still heavily felt.

“We’re still getting a high volume of calls that are Covid-related, including for things as simple as getting people to test sites,” Abrahams said.

During the Delta and Omicron variant surges, Abrahams and his staff continually fielded calls for people needing help to get Covid tests for Covid. Now that the infection numbers have dropped, Abrahams is seeing people struggling with the “ripple effect” of the surges.

“Many people have seen loss of income,” said Abrahams, “especially if they have loved ones who have lost their jobs, or passed away. … Now they’re under the pressure of running the household and they have to pay taxes and light bill without that income.”

Abrahams said his staff are in constant contact with PSEG and National Grid, who have been “very, very helpful,” working out payment plans so residents’ power stays on, especially in winter. Mortgages, too, fall under threat, and while Abrahams’ office cannot make direct financial arrangements, the staff continually connect mortgage holders with the housing office so they can figure out how to refinance.

One particularly helpful resource has been the May-October Farmers’ Market at the Baldwin Train Station that is operated every year by the Cedarmore Corporation, which is based in Freeport. Abrahams and Legis. Debra Mulé work to get their constituents county food vouchers to use at the market.

In the midst of the battle against COVID-19 and it consequences, Abrahams hasn’t lost sight of taxes, infrastructure, housing, and the economy.

Covid-19 pandemic disruptions have made it hard property owners to take time for the tax grievance process. Abrahams and the members of the Minority Caucus in the county legislature successfully got this year’s tax grievance deadline delayed from early March to May 2.

As for infrastructure, Abrahams has overseen road repaving in Uniondale along Jerusalem Avenue and Nassau Road that has smoothed traffic along those major thoroughfares, with more work coming on both roads.

In Freeport itself, two major projects are the armory and the site of the former Freeport health clinic.

“Legis. Mulé and I are working on a big Community Revitalization Program project at the armory,” said Abrahams. “That means working with the village because the village owns it, but there will be a host of youth organizations there, and myself and Legis. Mulé are providing grant money to restore the building. There is a tenant there already [Ready Set Grow Learning Academy], and a youth organization and technical schools are coming in there as well, so we are providing a grant for that.”

At the border of North Main Street/Nassau Road in Freeport/Roosevelt, the health clinic once run by the Nassau County Dept. of Health, and later by the Nassau Health Care Corporation, moved elsewhere when the building became too dilapidated. In May 2021 that property, and an adjacent parcel that will become a new parking lot, were sold by MHaney Management Corp. to Nassau County. The village has approved zoning and the county has adopted the affordable housing plan.

“That’s a very big project that I’m excited about,” Abrahams said.

Of relevance to the county as a whole is the development of the Hub. Decades ago, “The Hub” was the local moniker for the Village of Hempstead, but since 1996, Nassau County has adopted it to designate the area of the former Mitchel Field airbase, where now are located Nassau Community College, the Nassau Coliseum, Museum Row, and large office buildings along Earl Ovington Boulevard. The huge site still needs more development.

“The county has done everything it needs to do,” Abrahams said. “The developer needs to finalize the zoning approvals with the Town of Hempstead to determine what the town will allow them to build, so it can go back to the county for final approval. Once the developer knows what the town will allow him to build, he can present it to us so we can determine whether or not to approve it.”

If its potential is fulfilled, the county can look forward to more housing, more commerce, more jobs, and a connection with the Nassau Coliseum. The hope is that the Hub can become a sought-after destination.

All of these projects have general bipartisan support in the Nassau County Legislature.

For fun and history now until the end of February, Abrahams’ constituents can enjoy his Black History trivia questions, which he has been posting to his Facebook page.