By Anthony Rifilato
Chamber officials said at a meeting on June 20 that they have been working with the town in the hopes of attracting quality, national retail chains to the corner of Grand Avenue and Merrick Road.
The town's appraisal process is just beginning, and since the town would acquire the property through eminent domain, owners will be given the fair market value of their property.
Meanwhile, the chamber has been meeting with Charles Theofan, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Economic Development, as the town drafts its request for proposals (RFP). Since the area is part of an urban renewal plan, the chamber will also be meeting with urban renewal planners, part of what the town has called a "visioning" process in order to articulate a new look for that area.
"What's going to happen is a developer with connections in retail will redevelop the entire area," said Chamber co-president Doris Duffy. Duffy and others noted that the meetings with Theofan have been comprehensive and substantial.
"The good news for the community is that Theofan has met with us every month," said Chamber Co-President Ginny Foley, who added that Theofan expects the project to be underway in over a year from now.
Duffy said that the chamber has been fully involved and regularly kept up to date on the project by the town, especially in its meetings with Theofan.
"We have never been given such access to a public official," said Duffy. "We're very pleased to have that access."
They also noted the importance of the chamber's involvement in the planning process. After all, the chamber has been working for over ten years to bring business to Baldwin and to redevelop that stretch of Grand Avenue.
In 2000, the chamber commissioned a downtown study of the area in the hopes of revitalization and have been working with a marketing firm - FranchiseHelp, Inc. - to attract businesses to the area, efforts that Duffy said will prove valuable during the town's planning process. Those efforts were given a boost when the chamber announced that it had received a reimbursement grant of $10,000 from State Senator Dean Skelos.
Duffy noted the need to bring in more businesses to Baldwin, and that Baldwin lacks a strong retail base.
"If you want to buy a tie [in Baldwin], you can't do it," Duffy said. "We know parts of the community are under-served."
