By Karenlyn Barone
The objective of the overall project is to make the village waterfront area the focal point for both commerce and recreation. Included in that project are plans for a small park with a gazebo and a beautified bulkhead for the area's small boats. Also by raising the bulkhead height, the revitalization project will help to stop bank erosion and reduce flooding.
Stores that stretch from Rocklyn to Centre avenues, Centre from Atlantic avenues to the Long Island Rail Road crossing and the commercial portion of Rocklyn Avenue and the commercial section of Cammerer Avenue and portions of Main Street near Rhame Avenue are slated for work during Phase II.
Phase II of the project will compliment the work done as part of Phase I and will include the refurbishment of the Rocklyn Avenue municipal parking field, which will begin later this summer. Additionally, Long Island Rail Road is working with the village and will repave that lot as well as the parking lot adjacent to the East Rockaway railroad station on Ocean Avenue. The area will also see the planting of new trees.
"The village will have some additional parking spaces added to the Ocean Avenue lot and aspects of beautification will follow," said Village Trustee Richard Meagher. "Phase II will start shortly and is meant to be completed by summer's end."
The Waterfront Revitalization Project is part of the Operation Downtown revitalization project, which has been in the works for more than a year, that aims as upscaling the stores in the downtown area. Recently completed Phase I of that project added paving stones, new sidewalks, nostalgic street lighting, park benches, trash receptacles and new curbs to much of Main Street, which leads to the waterfront area.
"This is evidence of the village's commitment to upgrading and improving our downtown areas, "said Village Mayor Joseph Carrigan.
Recent, welcome additions to the family of Main Street stores are Rocco's Catering at the Colonial Room and the Italian eatery Villa Maria. The addition of these attractive businesses has added to the aesthetic value of the area and has boosted trade along the avenue.
"Operation Downtown has brought a new vitality and community pride to the village," said Carrigan.
During the next few months, the village plans to meet with property owners in the downtown areas and seek their inclusion in this program. The recent fire on Main Street motivated the village to offer the resources of a building facade improvement program to those store owners who suffered property damage, as a way of assisting them in their efforts to rebuild.
Carrigan is proud of the continuing efforts of his village board and what he calls the Village's partnership with the commercial sector in revitalizing the downtown area. He is confident that the programs in progress will bring a new, attractive and vibrant look to East Rockaway.
"When the sum of all the projects are done, this village will have undergone its most dramatic transformation ever," said Meagher. " We hope to do for East Rockaway what Freeport has done for their Nautical Mile. In microcosm, we want that for East Rockaway."
