(Photo source for story and cover: Google Maps)
Hicksville continues to be part of the recent trend of downtown revitalization that has been sweeping across Long Island. The latest chapter for the community was the recent announcement by Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino that Hicksville was being awarded $150,000 in competitive Transit-Oriented Development grant funds from the Nassau County Office of Community Development to assist in redevelopment of the local downtown. These funds will be used to beautify the downtown and improve safety for pedestrians traversing the area to access parking and local stores.
“Downtown Hicksville is on the edge of a renaissance thanks to a commitment from the Town of Oyster Bay, New York State and the private sector,” Saladino said. “We will transform the downtown area into a vibrant destination with new housing opportunities, local jobs and open space. I thank Nassau County for investing these federal dollars in the project as they will assist us with pedestrian safety improvements and beautification initiatives.”
This follows on the heels of Hicksville being awarded a $10 million grant two years ago by the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). It was part of a total of $100 million in funding and investments being made available to help communities in each of the state’s 10 regional economic development regions looking to identify catalytic downtown projects to boost the local economy. In this case, the money was being directed to revitalize the downtown area near the Hicksville Long Island Rail Road station to support increased access to transportation, improve walkability and attract new housing opportunities. It’s a need Governor Andrew Cuomo recognized when he made the announcement that Hicksville was receiving these funds back in 2018.
“For Hicksville, the railroad was always the centerpiece of the community. This works as the youth of today are not car-oriented people. They live in downtown-centered communities. They are more density and more mass transit for their environment. They want to be within walking distance of their downtown and train station.” Cuomo said. “You created a bottom up plan with vision and local leadership and you were in the top ten of 104 proposals in New York State. Congratulations on winning the top prize of $10 million.”
Officials hope these projects, along with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $132 million investment in the rail road station and this most recent infusion of $150,000, will continue to transform Hicksville into a vibrant destination for residents and visitors of all ages.
This recent financial turns precedes the launch of a new transit-oriented development set to open at 35 Broadway on Feb. 20. This new structure replaces the formerly vacant commercial space with 18 residential units above a “Work Smart” office-sharing concept on the ground floor. To attract private sector investments, the Town of Oyster Bay applied for and received approval for state tax credits to be offered to developers willing to remediate Brownfields and blighted areas in the downtown. Additionally, the town is reviewing zoning changes to complement this revitalization initiative.
