By Mike Russo
On Monday, they stood together at a press conference when officials announced that the precinct would not only remain in town, it would be housed in the Rosen Shopping Center on Grand Avenue, a spot Scannell and many residents had been advocating for.
The current precinct, now in an aging building on Merrick Road, has been in the Baldwin community for over 75 years. The precinct's coverage area also includes South Hempstead, Roosevelt, Uniondale, North Merrick, North Bellmore and East Meadow.
Precinct officials have long been frustrated by the lack of a modern, spacious facility suited to their needs for updated technology and communication systems.
Seeking to relocate the precinct in 2004, Suozzi proposed moving it to Grand Avenue between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road, but nothing ever came of it. Later, when he tried to move the precinct out of Baldwin altogether, and into Roosevelt to be more centrally located, Suozzi inadvertently set off a firestorm of protest by residents, Scannell and Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino.
Scannell went on to explore other options within Baldwin, which included the possibility of renovating the current building or moving the police to the antique shop building next door. But the Rosen Shopping Center seemed to have it all, Scannell said: easy access from Grand Avenue, a location next to the high school, the opportunity to fill up vacant storefronts in a historically troubled lot and the option to lease were all positives for the Baldwin lawmaker.
Scannell, who had been pushing for the shopping center spot for some time, said that providing a state-of-the-art precinct for police officers was absolutely essential for them to continue doing their jobs. Further, he said, bringing the police to Grand Avenue is a step in the right direction to improve both the condition and the image of Baldwin's main road.
"Baldwin has always been about Grand Avenue and I've always tried to make it great," said Scannell, who went on to praise the combined efforts of the county and the Baldwin School District for helping to get the project headed in the right direction. "This really was a true team effort. What this is going to enable the Nassau County Police Department to do is to have cutting-edge technology, help us fight crime and make our communities better. This 1st Precinct is going to remain in Baldwin for generations to come."
The nature of the deal for the two-acre property - a 40-year lease from David Rosen, the owner of the shopping center - was touted by Scannell as a tax-saving initiative for county taxpayers, because leasing the property will cost less than purchasing it, according to county officials. Similarly, officials said that providing Rosen with the $1 million set-aside in the county's capital plan for design of the new precinct would allow the project to be carried out much quicker than if the county were to go it alone.
A lease has not been signed between the county and Rosen, but county officials said they expected to have one soon. The lease would have to be approved by the county Legislature.
Though Rosen would be responsible for putting out bids to a developer for the design and construction of the new 1st Precinct, Scannell said, the county's Department of Public Works would have direct oversight of the entire operation.
Scannell said that the entire construction of the precinct will cost close to $8 million, and that money will be used from a county capital fund utilized for the renovation and upgrade of county precincts. County officials estimated the design being completed in close to three months, and for construction to get underway next spring.
According to Suozzi, the 18.5 percent reduction in crime within 1st Precinct jurisdiction over the past five years is one of the largest decreases seen in the entire county. Even with the poor facility, he said, the precinct, which serves more residents than any other in the county, Suozzi said, has still done its job effectively. Though he admitted that he would have rather seen the precinct find a home in Baldwin's downtown, the same spot where the Town of Hempstead is undertaking a revitalization project, he said he knew the location would be ideal both for police and residents alike.
"This is really a very exciting day," said Suozzi. "Like I always say, it takes teamwork to make the dream work; and this will be a great realization of a dream for the people of Baldwin, the people of the 1st Precinct and the people of Nassau County."
Many school district officials attended the press conference, including Board of Education President Mary Jo O'Hagan, who praised the efforts of Suozzi and Scannell for securing the deal.
"It's a positive presence, and reinforces the strong partnership we've developed over the years with the Police Department," said O'Hagan. "It's a significant first step in the revitalization of Grand Avenue, and we look forward to the economic growth and sense of renewal that will continue to make Baldwin a great place to live."
Resident Barbara Spadanuta remembers taking a tour of the current 1st Precinct building a number of years ago, and said she never realized what poor condition it was in. Spadanuta, a member of the Baldwin Democratic Club, said she felt that the Rosen Shopping Center was an ideal location for the new precinct, both because it would be nicer to look at and would put the police in a better position to control possible situations occurring at the high school.
"I think this is a really good spot for it," Spadanuta said. "The cops really should have the technology and a good facility. It's highly visible, there's more room and it will look important as opposed to that dumpy building. This is great. I'm really thrilled by it."
Bert Marrero, president of the Baldwin Neighborhood Watch, which held a meeting attended by Scannell that same night, has been one of the most vocal residents in support of moving the precinct to the shopping center. Last year, he circulated a petition, garnering over 1,000 signatures‚ advocating the move, which he passed along to Scannell.
"First of all, it's going to clean up that section of Grand Avenue, said Marrero. "It's a shot in the arm for Baldwin. It's an all-win, no-lose situation. Everybody's happy."
Anthony Rocco, chief of the Nassau County Police and a former commanding officer of the 1st Precinct, said that he and his colleagues have been fighting for years to get a new facility. Rocco, whose first job with the 1st Precinct was helping students cross Grand Avenue from the high school, said that the officers used to joke that the three-story precinct would one day become two stories because it was in such poor shape. Repairs and patch-ups could only last so long, he said, and it was clear to everyone at the precinct that a new building was needed if they were to continue serving the community.
"There's only a finite amount of repairs you can do to repair the building; it was time for a change," said Rocco. "The people of Baldwin have always been warm to us, always embraced us and we always felt that we were part of the fabric of the Baldwin community. The members of the 1st Precinct truly look at Baldwin as our hometown, so we're very glad we can stay."
Comments about this story? MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
