Proposed public and private grant projects were presented to the Mineola community, as the deadline to submit them to the state approaches.
The Local Planning Committee of the New York Forward grant program held its second public workshop meeting on Monday night. Committee members presented several proposed projects that the state’s $4.5 million grant money will fund.
Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the grant program in 2022 to support downtown revitalization for New York’s smaller communities.
Through the NYF program, smaller downtowns, like Mineola, will receive the planning and implementation support needed to attract more businesses, residents and visitors while also providing a higher quality of life for all residents.
The state recommended that Mineola submit project proposals totaling at least $6 million. This allows flexibility when the state determines which project is most cost-effective and in case a project does not go through.
The projects presented at the second workshop included Second Street and Main Street redesign, sponsored by the village; train station connectivity improvements, sponsored by the village; wayfinding/signage and streetscape enhancements, sponsored by the village; public mural on the pavilion parking garage wall, sponsored by the village; Village of Mineola marketing and branding study, sponsored by the village; Century Lounge in The Bridge, sponsored by Ross Levine; 94 Main St. Renovations, sponsored by Isabel Garcia; Second-Main Street: Mixed-use development, sponsored by ESHCO Real Estate and Mgmt. Inc.; The St. James facade renovation, sponsored by Peter Viscardi and Will Elvert; and 199 Jericho: Mixed-use development, sponsored by Mineola 199 LLC.
For each private project, the sponsor must match the project by at least 25%.
Also presented at the meeting was a Small Project Fund — sponsored by the village — to support a range of downtown projects. The village has received nine letters of interest from businesses requesting enhancements and assistance with this pool of $375,000.
Community members had the opportunity to read about each project, as well as write their opinions on a post-it note.
Regarding the Second Street and Main Street redesigns, someone wrote “losing parking spaces. What are the implications for businesses loading and unloading?”
“Commercial space should be prioritized,” one community member wrote in reference to the Second-Main Street: mixed-use development project. “So many apartment buildings already.”
For the Small Project Fund, one person wrote, “maintain overall aesthetic of Mineola Diner!” Someone else wrote, “most of these are in historic building. Interested in preserving the look and the history.”
These projects and the Small Project Fund total about $5.8 million. After the price for the Second and Main Street mixed-use development is determined, this number is expected to surpass the minimum project submission requirement of $6 million. This number is also expected to be tweaked after upcoming LPC meetings.
“Mineola will be a thriving downtown destination for residents, workers, and guests, with vibrant shops, restaurants, and unique spaces to gather for entertainment and community events,” the NYF downtown vision statement, which was created with LPC’s guidance, states. “As the official Seat of Nassau County and a central Long Island hub for employment and transit, downtown Mineola is poised to become the ‘go-to’ place that serves all local needs while attracting visitors into its safe, pleasant, walkable, and welcoming community.”
“The very first step that we’re in, the planning process, is to refine that vision statement, refine the goals, make sure they are really saying what the village wants them to say and that they’re reflected what the consensus is,” Susan Favate, principal at BFJ Planning and part of the NYF consultant team, said.
Favate said Mineola’s population has increased by 57 percent in the last 12 years, with most of the increase in the village’s downtown area. She said this can lead to more potential for activity.
“We have heard consistently just a really strong desire for more restaurants, more variety of shops, more things at night and on the weekend,” Favate said. “So these projects are really meant to guide the development of those projects in the downtown profile, as well as the vision statement and goals and strategies.”
The next step in the process will be the fifth LPC Meeting, which will be held on Oct. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mineola Community Center. The LPC will continue to receive input from the community over the next couple of months. Then, in mid-December, the LPC will send the project proposals to the state.
