Franklin Square is gearing up for a fresh wave of improvements, with the Franklin Square Forward coalition leading the charge through ongoing community workshops.
The community-led coalition began mapping out its vision for the town during its April 9 meeting at Washington Street School, looking at the acquisition and revitalization of the Franklin Square Theater, a new tree planting program and an overlay district in the downtown area.
The coalition, which began meeting in October 2024, is committed to revitalizing Franklin Square through upgrades and improvements to infrastructure, along with beautification initiatives. Because the town is not an incorporated village, the coalition is aimed at giving Franklin Square residents more autonomy over decisions made for the town.
Darren Boerckel, a member of Franklin Square Forward, is part of the Franklin Square Theater Committee, a subcommittee of the coalition. He said the coalition is under contract to purchase the theater, which has not been operational since 2020. Nauman Hussain currently owns it.
Boerckel said they are deciding the best way to facilitate the purchase, which could be either private or communal.Once the purchase contract is approved — which Boerckel said would be within a couple of months—the coalition can begin renovations.
The planned renovations, Boerckel said, would take about six months.
Boerckel and the coalition are also working with an architect, Michael Freedman of MDSzerbaty Associates Architecture, on renovating the building’s layout. Freedman’s office is located in Manhattan, but he is a resident of Franklin Square.
The plans, Freedman explained, are to convert three of the four movie theaters currently downstairs—all of which are separated by walls—into one, full size theater facing the back of the building. The stage would accommodate main events like music, comedy, and theatrical performances.
The remaining theater at the front of the building would be reserved for workshops for residents and children, such as art and language learning classes.
Upstairs, Freedman continued, the two existing theaters would remain but undergo renovations, as well. The theaters would be reserved for activities like gaming, comedy shows, music performances and business presentations during the week, as well as movies or other shows for children on the weekend.
“It’s really like a hub for Franklin Square,” Boerckel said. “It’s not like your traditional movie theater setup.”
Boerckel said fundraising efforts for renovations are underway on GoFundMe, which is under the name “Franklin Square Theater Project.” Updates about the effort are also available on their Instagram account, @FranklinSquareTheaterProject.
Anthony Passarella, who is part of the coalition’s Streetscaping Committee, proposed a tree planting program that would provide cheaper, affordable trees to be planted in the community. “We’re still in the early stages,” Passarella clarified.
Passarella said he would like the program to be available to community members in residential areas who want new trees planted on their property or curb strip. He also proposed the program to be run by volunteers who would work with local contractors, although the committee did not have a concrete plan in place yet.
“I just want to make planting trees an easier process for people,” he said.
The Preservation Committee is working on establishing Franklin Square’s downtown area as a historical or transit-oriented overlay district. An overlay district is a set of standards that supersedes the Town of Hempstead’s zoning law to give special regulatory guidance for specific communities like Franklin Square.
According to Katie Tarascio, who sits on the Preservation Committee, establishing an overlay district would give the Franklin Square community more control over the downtown district’s aesthetics, development, and facilities.
Tarascio said their goal is to maintain the mid-century aesthetic of the downtown area. Many of the buildings, she explained, were built between the 1920s and 1950s.
“We want any changes going forward to be beneficial to the community,” Tarascio said. “We want to keep the historical feel of our downtown, but in a way that supports, not hinders, economic growth.”
By establishing an overlay district, she continued, the local community could determine rules for future construction including signage, awnings, and lighting.
Creating the district would also allow the town to take advantage of the PSEG programs, detailed during the April 2 Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce meeting at Trotter’s Bar and Grill.
In order to be approved for funding through those programs, Tarascio explained, the community would either have to be an incorporated village or have an established overlay district. As of now, she said, any funding awarded to Franklin Square has to go through the Town and cannot directly be awarded to the community.
“You’re looking to create an entity so you can create an economic movement,” she said.
The coalition is hoping to get support and collaboration from the Town of Hempstead to ensure their plans come to fruition.
Franklin Square Forward member Bill Youngfert, who also sits on the Franklin Square Historical Society board, added that the Franklin Square Museum, located at 861 Naple Ave. in Franklin Square, is looking for funds to pay overhead costs so the historical society can maintain the museum. These costs include electricity, heat, air conditioning, a security alarm and materials needed for student programs.
Proposition 6, which would provide this funding for the museum if passed, will be on the ballot during Franklin Square’s Annual Budget Vote on May 20.
Franklin Square Forward members encouraged the community to join their efforts and be part of the coalition. Meetings are announced on their website, FranklinSquareForward.org.
