Eight Downtown Revitalization Projects Enhance Streetscapes and Public Gathering Places, Expand Arts and Cultural Activity and Increase Housing and Business Opportunities
Project Renderings Available Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced eight transformational projects in the Town of Riverhead as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. The awards will enhance streetscapes and public spaces, expand arts and cultural activity, and increasing housing and business opportunities.
"We are committed to revitalizing Long Island, and these investments will create a more walkable, vibrant downtown that will benefit generations of New Yorkers who call Riverhead home," Governor Hochul said. "These projects will enhance public spaces and create more affordable housing opportunities, and my administration will continue to prioritize transformational projects that will strengthen communities across New York."
The Town of Riverhead sits at the junction of the North and South Forks on the East End of Long Island; its location at the mouth of the Peconic River provides access to beaches and other natural resources. Unlike communities further west, the Town is largely rural and agricultural and has become one of the state's burgeoning wine-growing regions. Riverhead's DRI awards will knit existing and new investments together to create a safe, pedestrian-friendly community with better connectivity within the downtown area and between the downtown and the riverfront.
The investments are part of the Governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the Long Island economy and create more opportunities. The DRI is led by the Department of State, which provides technical assistance as each participating community develops a Strategic Investment Plan identifying specific projects with a unique vision for the revitalization of the downtown area.
The specific projects to be funded through the DRI support several goals and strategies contained in the community's Strategic Investment Plan, such as enhancing streetscapes and public gathering spaces, expanding arts and cultural activity, and increasing housing and business opportunities. The $9.7 million State investment in these projects through the DRI will leverage additional public and private sector investments as the revitalization process proceeds and builds momentum.