Nassau County Executive

Mineola, NY - Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray today announced that four Town of Hempstead communities are eligible to receive awards from a $1 million county fund designed to spur downtown revitalization projects. Hempstead Town has committed to sharing the costs of the vision process in the communities of Baldwin, Roosevelt, Elmont and Inwood.

County Executive Suozzi and Supervisor Murray were also joined by Nassau County Legislators Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) and John Ciotti (R-Valley Stream) and Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby Councilmen Anthony Santino and Edward Ambrosino in announcing this joint initiative.

The county and town worked together to identify these four communities as the first to receive as much as $300,000 from a $1 million "Visioning" program designed to help business districts develop their own plans, tailored to their communities' unique needs. "We are pleased to be working with Town of Hempstead Supervisor Murray, as the town is our first partner in these efforts," Suozzi said.

The county is committed to joining forces with Nassau's towns, villages and cities to tackle the economic challenges faced by Nassau's older suburban communities. Hempstead Town has already allocated funds for revitalization work in the four hamlets.

"A Brookings Institution study last week confirmed what I've been saying all along - that mature suburbs like ours won't generate enough economic growth if we do nothing and just allow them to stagnate," Suozzi said. Nassau County's plan for New Suburbia calls for revitalizing our downtowns, and also addressing the needs of emerging minority communities, encouraging the redevelopment of abandoned brownfield properties and developing Nassau's "Hub."

"Hempstead Town officials know that if our mature suburbs are to thrive and prosper, they need active partners in government," Murray said. "Together the town and county will work so that our communities can realize their fullest economic potential."

In addition to the four communities selected for the pilot program, other communities have been identified for further consideration.

In addition to encouraging downtown revitalization, the county's economic development plan calls for:

Today's announcement is the culmination of dozens of community meetings and on-site tours that Suozzi has held throughout the county during the last two and a half years as part of the planning process. Suozzi and county planning officials held 35 bus tours and meetings that were attended by more than 3,000 residents. In addition, more than 1,500 surveys were completed by local residents, business leaders, and school and government officials.

"The fact is, we cannot do this without broad-based community support,"
Suozzi said. "We are now in a strong position to start making some real changes." He noted that cooperation with local municipalities is crucial because the county does not have zoning powers.

"The future for the four communities and our entire region is bright because of the cooperation between different levels of government and the involvement of neighbors," Murray said. "Community enhancing projects have already begun and more are on the way."

The $1 million in county funds is designed as seed money to encourage local leaders in communities across the county, including these four, to develop their own "Visions" for their areas and to identify additional revenue sources to make their visions a reality.

Suozzi and Murray Announce Four Communities to Receive Funds as Part of Countywide "Visioning" Plan to Spur Economic Development

$1 Million Joint Initiative Helps Hamlets Shape Their Own Plans