Public Participation Process Kicks Off For Riverhead Town Square

RIVERHEAD, NY — Plans for a new Town Square in downtown Riverhead are moving forward, with the commencement of an extensive public participation process.

“Despite the obstacles of the 2020 pandemic, the united Riverhead Town Board has made unprecedented progress towards the creation of the Riverhead Town Square, which will be the centerpiece of a fully revitalized, thriving downtown Riverhead,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar.

The Town Square, she said, will transform the downtown business district into a "thriving regional hub that will offer an attractive venue for people to live, work and play here in Riverhead," she added.

The public’s input is needed to ensure that when the Town Square is developed, the needs and desires of the community are recognized, Aguiar said.

The public input process began last week with two days of meetings facilitated by the
town’s Pittsburgh-based consultant Urban Design Associates.

Along with the town board, the community development department staff, business owners, property owners, and members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Improvement District were present, Aguiar said.

Next, the town board is seeking to solicit input from the public. To that end, a
a new website will be created through Social Pinpoint, a "digital community engagement platform designed to generate public participation in planning projects," Aguiar said.

Links to the website can be found on Riverhead's town website and will feature interactive maps, as well as enable participants to leave feedback, take a digital survey, attach photos of suggestions, and submit ideas.

The public input process kicks off with a virtual public Zoom meeting on Thursday, April
1, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The public input process will continue for six to eight weeks, as the town readies itself to submit grant applications for federal and state funding, due by the end of May.

After being awarded an $800,000 grant from New York Empire State Development, Riverhead leveraged $612,000 in Suffolk County water quality funding and $400,000 in Suffolk
County Jump Start funding to enter into contract to acquire three parcels that will result in the
Town Square.

The buildings located at 117 and 121 East Main Street will be demolished, while 127 East Main Street would remain in place, although it will be extensively renovated, Aguiar said.

Closing on the three parcels, which are currently owned by Riverhead Enterprises, is expected to
occur in the very near future.

The Town Square will be framed on the west by the new Long Island Science Center at 111 East Main Street. The Long Island Science Center was awarded $775,000 from Empire State Development to support its expansion to a building adjacent to the Town Square, enabling increased opportunities for families and schools to access its array of educational resources, Aguiar said.

“The town board has worked diligently and cooperatively to advance the Town Square concept, which will consist of a public gathering space, pedestrian connectivity and open vistas from Main Street to the riverfront. The primary goal of this project is to reorient the pedestrian focus from the traditional Main Street to the PeconicRiverwalk, Aguiar said.

The town intends to repurpose some existing town-owned riverfront parking as public gathering spaces, which may include performance spaces, splash fountains and permeable brick/stone pathways interspersed with rain gardens.

Riverhead officials moved forward in July with the plan to revitalize and transform the downtown area with a new Town Square.

A press briefing was held at the site of the former Swezey's Department Store downtown with Aguiar, along with members of the Riverhead town board and Director of Community Development Dawn Thomas.

The project, Thomas said, will "create a public space for all town residents, including family friendly activities and outdoor activities." She added: "Riverhead is receiving a heart transplant. It's a tremendous credit to this unified town board and its leadership to have finally committed to this vision. In fact, this town board has moved the ball further down the field in the last six months than in the last 20 years."

The Science Center reopened a demonstration space in January, 2019, in Riverhead after selling their East Main Street, Riverhead location, a development that marked the beginning of its long-term expansion plan.