By ANTHONY RIFILATO
At a town forum with Town Councilman Anthony Santino on Feb. 13, where he updated residents about the project, he and other officials said that the revitalization of Baldwin's downtown would be a boon to the community, as they anticipate quality retail tenants doing business there.
No tax rebates or incentives are being offered, and ultimately, a developer would assume the entire cost of the project.
Recently, seven major real estate firms expressed interest in the plan, and submitted preliminary proposals to the town. Santino said the project would benefit the community and increase tax revenue. Santino said it was too early to determine just how much tax revenue would be generated by the planned addition of businesses on Grand Ave., since they have yet to choose a developer for the project.
"We can't know that until we have a final selection," Santino said. "We know it's going to be more because it will be better than what is there now. I can tell you for sure that it will generate more tax revenue."
The Town of Hempstead's blight study of the area was released last year and is being used as the basis for the project. It encompasses the area just below the Baldwin Fire Department headquarters on Grand Avenue and onto Merrick Road, ending at Gale Avenue. It also includes a portion of the southwest corner of Merrick Road.
Not all of the buildings included in the study are being torn down and no residential homes are included in the plan.
Santino and others said that even though the town is planning to acquire the roughly six-acre parcel through eminent domain, no residential homes are going to be razed and that they are using eminent domain "sparingly."
"Without eminent domain, that area would remain an eyesore for years to come," Santino said.
Some homeowners will have the option of having a portion of their backyards included if they choose to accommodate the project. By mutual consent, homeowners would have the choice of selling a portion of their backyards for the fair market value.
One Gale Avenue resident, who would not give his name, praised the project and said it would help turn the area around.
"There is a lot of riff raff causing trouble around here, so the rebuilding is a great idea," the man said.
Some business owners who are included in the blight study also lauded the plan.
Joe Coret, the owner of Paul's Deli on Merrick Road, which is not going to be torn down, said he hopes the project moves along quickly.
"They can't do it fast enough," Coret said. "I think it's a great idea and I'm looking forward to it."
Members of the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, which is working closely with the town as it moves ahead with the project, said they were encouraged by the preliminary proposals.
"I was really excited about the number of proposals and that there were that many developers seriously interested in helping us improve that commercial area," Chamber Co-President Doris Duffy said.
At a chamber meeting last week, Duffy and others said that along with Best Buy opening on Sunrise Highway this summer, they are hoping the downtown project will generate more interest in other parts of Baldwin by major retail chains.
"Best Buy coming in here is a wonderful thing and a big impetus for other stores to come," Co-president Ginny Foley said at the meeting.
For more than 10 years, the chamber has worked to attract businesses to the area, though some landlords have shunned their efforts in the past, members said.
That is the case at the Baldwin Shopping Center, which has several empty storefronts in what many consider to be a deteriorating shopping center. Mace's and Global Furniture have closed, and though 99 Cent Dreams shut it's doors late last year, it has since been replace by a Dollar Tree.
"That shopping center is an eyesore in town," Foley said.
Duffy was a bit more diplomatic, saying that the chamber is happy to work with any landlord in town.
"We encourage him to have better tenants, he has attractive space," Duffy said of the landlord after the meeting. "The Dollar Tree is a tremendous improvement over the 99 Cent store. There are other spaces there, there's no reason why that can't be greatly improved."
Still, Duffy and others said they remain hopeful the town's project will deliver, and greatly improve Baldwin's commercial viability.
"I think that type of positive energy is contagious," Duffy said. "I think people are really excited about it and believe it's going to happen."
