The Village of Floral Park is seeking a state grant for urban center revitalization in an application that includes the contested Stella-Cerrone apartment development.
The New York Forward grant would bring $4.5 million in state funding for the village’s downtown business district renewal. A decision from the state is expected in early 2026.
“It is anticipated that the Village will achieve a residential growth rate of over 3% following the approvals of the first two listed projects,” the village said in a publicly available document about the grant.
The application includes the proposed Stella-Cerrone development, which is for two mixed-use buildings on Jericho Turnpike, totaling more than 150 housing units and additional commercial units. Public criticism of the project is abundant. The village grant application references the proposed housing increases for the future development of the area.
“It could be developed into a completely different building, and it would have the same kind of impact and need for revitalization,” said Floral Park Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo. The proposal is ongoing and still needs numerous approvals from the village.
Public infrastructure revitalization surrounding any private development, such as sidewalks or lights, will be carried out by the village.
Projects proposed include “sidewalk replacements, centralized parking systems, municipal parking lot upgrades, tree and flower plantings, accessible curb cuts, ramps and crosswalks, way-finding signage, pocket park refurbishments, and a matching fund for business storefront replacements,” according to a November statement from the village.
This is the third time the village has applied for the NY Forward grant, and each year the village has striven for a stronger application. The grant stipulates a business center that requires renewal, so Floral Park administrators have centered the application on a triangle including Jericho Turnpike and the area of Tulip Avenue near the Floral Park LIRR station, according to Pombonyo.
The application also includes plans for park and street revitalization.
“Our project focuses on making that area walkable, accessible, attractive … easy to get to, enjoyable, make it a destination,” said Pombonyo. “I think we made a good case with them that we are a community that is used to development in the community, whether it’s maintenance, repair, development or something brand new. We’ve had a lot of projects going on, and we certainly demonstrated we could bring them to completion.”
Village officials met with the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council in December to discuss details of the application. The council manages and dictates state funding to local governments on Long Island. Since the first NY Forward grant in 2022, three Nassau County villages have been awarded funding: Long Beach, Mineola and Farmingdale.
“It was a very positive, highly interactive, enthusiastic meeting,” Pombonyo said. “The meeting had a lot of momentum … these people lead development in New York State, and we were proud to be there.”
The decision of whether Floral Park will receive this year’s NY Forward Grant is expected in early 2026, meaning village officials could hear of a decision at any time.
