By Anthony Rifilato
The town announced earlier this year that it would acquire the property on the west side of Grand Avenue and Merrick Road through eminent domain. The town has deemed the area blighted, saying that 50 percent of the businesses there are vacant and that the location is in need of a major overhaul. Last month the town board began the condemnation process, approving a contract for the legal work of drafting the urban renewal plan and condemning the property, a town spokesperson said.
Ultimately, the area will be cleared to make way for what the town says will be quality shops and businesses - ideally anchored by a Barnes & Noble, Old Navy or other large chain store - that would attract shoppers from not only Baldwin but from surrounding communities as well.
Before the eminent domain and condemnation process begins, however, the town will initiate a request for proposals, or RFP, in the coming weeks to find a private developer to head the project and ultimately bring in such a chain store, Town Councilman Anthony Santino said. Santino explained that a number of developers have already expressed interest in the project and that, by way of a bidding process, the town is looking to attract a developer that has proven relationships with national chains.
"There have been informal conversations, just to get the lay of the land and to see what is possible," Santino said. "Because of the desirability of the site - the economics of it and the wealth of people who live in the area - these developers are telling us that they are confident that they will be able to bring these chains in there."
The town would also begin what it has dubbed a "visioning" process of the roughly five-acre space, in which it would consult with community groups such as the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce to decide on what the area should look like. There will be community meetings at which Baldwin residents will have the opportunity to provide their input as well, Santino said.
The councilman emphasized that the result of the project would not be another strip mall, drug store or fast food chain, which many feel have become ubiquitous throughout Baldwin. "I would like to see magnet stores that bring people to Baldwin, so people from as far away as Lynbrook and Bellmore will say, 'Let's go shopping there,'" Santino said.
Although it is too early to say what stores may set up shop in that area, Santino explained that he was confident the project would be a boon for Baldwin. He also said that the town has been working with local businesses, such as Baldwin Kitchen & Bath Designs on Merrick Road, that have expressed concern that they would be forced out of Baldwin as a result of the project. Businesses included in the blight study but not slated for condemnation would be part of the urban renewal plan, Santino said.
In an effort to further improve the area, the town has expanded the blight study to include some properties across the street from the focus area, on the southwest corner of Merrick Road. Town officials said this would make funding for beautification projects such as façade improvements available to business owners and landlords. "The area is eligible for the project because it's in an urban blight area," Santino said, explaining that the corner would be improved to be more aesthetically pleasing.
He added that the town is working to help relocate Baldwin Kitchen & Bath Designs across the street, on the southwest side of Merrick Road. "The hope there is to relocate Howard Gainsburg," Santino said, referring to the business's owner. "We're developing that corner to complement the project and to keep him in business."
Business owners who would be affected by the town's eminent domain plan would have to be paid the fair market value for their businesses. The town is in the process of hiring an appraisal firm in order to determine those fair market values. If property owners feel they are entitled to more than those values, their compensation would ultimately be determined in New York State Supreme Court.
Town officials said that they hope to have the project completed in roughly two years, despite the substantial relocation of tenants and businesses. The town, Santino said, would assist them as the project moves forward. "It will be completely part of the process," he said. "We will have a firm on board who will help relocate residents who live above those stores."
Since that stretch of Grand Avenue, from Sunrise Highway to Merrick Road, is a major artery in Baldwin, traffic issues will also have to be examined, and Santino said that the town would work with the County in order to address any concerns. "It's something we're going to look at," he said. "The ability to get in and out is certainly [an issue]. Will we have to tweak that? Probably."
Santino said that, ultimately, the town is looking for a developer to fund the entire project. The town is still committed to including Nunley's Carousel in the plan, although Santino and other officials have admitted that a private entity may be less likely to assume the costs of the project with the carousel included, because it could potentially take up too much retail space.
And while Nassau County Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) is pushing for the carousel's restoration and looking for alternate locations in Baldwin with those concerns in mind, the town will present two requests for proposals in the coming weeks - one that includes development with the carousel, and one that does not.
Santino said that it is premature to rule the carousel out. There is still the possibility that a developer will say the project could be economically viable with the carousel, he said. "If a developer would come in with a unique and innovative program to keep the carousel on Grand Avenue ... we would have the best of both worlds," Santino said.
