Village of Westbury builds on revitalization success
It’s been an eventful year for the Village of Westbury. 2016 saw the completion of the Ellison Avenue Bridge, the expansion of arts and entertainment offerings and the acceptance of a $10 million grant which will allow the village to continue transforming the downtown into a cultural destination. And while the village continues to move forward in building up Post Avenue, Village of Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro said retaining the residential feel of the neighborhood will always be a priority.
“Most people want to continue to have a single family residential community, but the development we’ve done hasn’t encroached on those parts of the community. People have seen the benefits without it impacting their neighborhood,” Cavallaro said. “Every place changes. The goal is to manage that change in a way that’s acceptable and that people can get their arms around.”
The village got a huge boost in their revitalization efforts thanks to a $10 million grant from Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July. As one of 10 municipalities statewide (and the only one Island-wide) to receive the grant, which was part of the governor’s downtown revitalization initiative, the village will work with regional economic development consultants to identify ways they can continue to build up the downtown.
The village already implements many smart growth strategies, such as walkability, multi-use housing and transit-oriented development, and Cavallaro said the grant will help take the village to the next level of revitalization. While plans for the funds are still being decided, Cavallaro noted that on the wish list are more multifamily housing, additional parking and a major employer to open in the village. Infrastructure improvements, such as updating lighting on Post Avenue or adding LED lights, is also an option. The goal, Cavallaro said, is to appeal to both people who want to stay and retire in the village, as well as young people.
“If we can accomplish some of these things, we’ll be moving closer to being one of the most attractive places on Long Island to live and having a premier downtown on Long Island,” Cavallaro said, adding that Westbury’s location was unparalleled. “I think that’s achievable. If we can reorient some of the things we’re doing and implement some of the things we’re thinking about, I think we can be there and I think we’re already moving in that direction.”
In addition to approximately 18 new businesses moving to Post Avenue in the last five years, more apartments have opened as well. The Greater Westbury Council for the Arts, a major contributor to the village’s revitalization through arts, entertainment and cultural offerings, also had their busiest summer yet. The nonprofit’s summer concert series included not only musical acts, but a theater production, dance performance and movie night as well. In the midst of improving, basic infrastructure hasn’t been neglected. One of the major highlights of the year was the completion of the Ellison Avenue bridge replacement, a project 25-years in the making. They’ve also repaved many of the roads and done crosswalk improvements.
The village plans to build on this year’s success right into 2017. Cavallaro said that the first three to four months of the new year will be spent planning and analyzing how to use the grant money, with the formation of a local committee who will help provide input as well as a series of public meetings to get additional feedback from property owners and residents. The rest of the year will be spent figuring out how to implement the renovations. Also on the agenda for next year is the replacement of the Post Avenue Long Island Rail Road bridge, which while structurally sound, is hit seven or eight times a year by trucks. The Long Island Rail Road will fund the project to replace the bridge with one that is a foot higher.
Though no timeline has yet been presented for the start of construction, the mayor is also waiting for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the governor’s third track proposal. While that project is not anticipated to interfere with the Post Avenue bridge replacement, it will leave an impact on the village, as the governor’s plan also includes the elimination of the grade crossing at School Street.
While one of the most noticeable upgrades on Post Avenue is the transformation of the old movie theater into the state-of-the-art performing venue The Space at Westbury, other vital improvements throughout the village helped lay the groundwork for a successful downtown.
“The Space was one of the lynchpin projects and is an anchor for activities,” said Cavallaro. “But it’s not the whole story. We started before the Space was even thought of, with façade improvements, drainage and traffic calming, we added commuter parking and established the Piazza.”
While efficient infrastructure, housing, amenities and entertainment are all crucial for a thriving downtown, there’s one factor that has been essential to the village’s revitalization—resident support.
“We have enjoyed a fairly high degree of consensus that the things we’re doing are positive for the village,” Cavallaro said, noting that in addition to residents, civic, churches and other community organizations have supported the village’s efforts. “These things aren’t possible when you have a convergence of opinion.”
Dawn Blinn, executive director of the Business Improvement District (BID) agreed, saying having residents support different programs and initiatives, such as the BID Dollars and street fair, was crucial.
“Community support is vitally important to everything that the BID does, especially with regards to our continued revitalization efforts,” Blinn said. “Resident support is at the heart of the health of our businesses, and the downtown in general. Without their support, all of our efforts would be futile.”
And while revitalization remains at the top of the priority list, the board remains cognizant that it should never come at the cost of compromising the spirit of Westbury.
“Even though Westbury isn’t the same place it was 40, 30 or 20 years ago, it’s essentially the same place in terms of the way the community is,” Cavallaro said. “And the spirit in the community is it’s primarily a single family community with a better downtown. And because of the better downtown, it’s more fiscally sound and a more solid community. When you have a dead downtown, you have a dying community. When you have a thriving downtown, you have life.”
