By Marley Seaman and Andrew Coen
On Feb. 21, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and a group of county legislators announced that Inwood, Baldwin, Elmont and Roosevelt were the first communities to become eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid. Under the "Visioning" program, community groups can use money from a $1 million county fund, which was included in last year's budget, to develop revitalization plans.
Suozzi said that the county and town worked together to identify the four communities as the first to receive as much as $300,000 from the fund.
The program is part of the county's plan for a "new suburbia," which calls for revitalizing downtown areas, redeveloping abandoned brownfield properties and developing Nassau's Hub.
Hempstead Town Councilman Jim Darcy (R-Valley Stream) and Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside), whose districts encompass Inwood, said they are glad to see cooperation and bipartisanship in the effort to improve local downtown areas. "Working together, we're going to see some positive results," said Darcy. "This is sending a pretty hard signal that we are committed to improvements."
"I am very much looking forward to increasing cooperation with the town to benefit the residents and businesses of Inwood," said Toback.
The downtown section of Inwood includes Doughty Boulevard and a section of Sheridan Boulevard. Inwood Civic Association President Teri Pearsall said that downtown Inwood used to be alive with many stores, and she would like to see that vitality return. Pearsall said her group hopes to play a role in enhancing the community's downtown through the use of the funds.
"The Inwood Civic Association is always for the improvement and revitalization of our downtown and Inwood community as a whole," said Pearsall. "We hope to be included in any future meetings and plans that will impact our neighborhood."
Darcy and Toback both said they plan to meet with Inwood civic leaders, business owners and residents in the coming weeks to determine what people would like to see done with Inwood's downtown area. "We're still looking for input from the people who are most affected by these areas, the people that live there," said Darcy.
"If [the county and town] can improve the quality of the streets, then maybe more and more business will move downtown," said an Inwood pharmacist who asked that his name not be used.
Suozzi said that the four pilot communities were the first of many that would receive Visioning aid. A map provided by the county listed a total of 12 "downtown opportunities" in Nassau communities. Long Beach, Freeport and Mineola were among the other targets. Nassau's Hub, an area including parts of Garden City and Hempstead, was also mentioned as a revitalization target.
Suozzi described Visioning as a long-term process, lasting at least a decade, which would encourage partnerships among local businesses and governments. In addition to revitalizing towns, he said, it would ease Nassau's transition into a "mature county," improve the quality of life in minority communities, develop housing for young people, protect natural resources, encourage new industries and support entertainment, sports and tourism. Suozzi added that he hoped state and federal funds would be used to match the local funds.
The announcement was made at 380 Nassau Road in Roosevelt, where a nearly completed building occupies a site that was empty for decades. The lawmakers said that development was an example of the improvements that Visioning could bring.
"It's going to provide an important shot in the arm," said Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino (R-East Rockaway), who described Visioning as "a master plan for the long-term future of Nassau County."
Although the Visioning fund already exists, the process of applying for a Visioning grant has not yet been established. Suozzi's office said that creating that process, as well as a definition of what a Visioning application must include, were among the next steps in the revitalization process.
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
