By Hank Russell
The newest project in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Hicksville was recently approved by the Town of Oyster Bay’s Planning Advisory Board. The $61 million project, known as Cornerstone Hicksville, will include 106 units and more than 4,000 square feet of retail space on a two-acre site on Jerusalem Avenue, in the vicinity of the Long Island Rail Road station in Hicksville.
“Hundreds of millions of dollars from the private sector are being invested into the Hicksville community to create new housing opportunities for young people and seniors looking to downsize,” said Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “Together with new shopping and downtown beautification initiatives, we’re investing in Hicksville’s future for generations to come.”
Earlier this year, Saladino, local civic and trades workers officially broke ground on several projects that are part of the greater Downtown Hicksville Revitalization Initiative, including Festival Plaza, the Kennedy Park expansion project, and the Underline project, all of which are now underway.
Upon taking office in 2017, Saladino and the Town Board worked with local organizations to spearhead the planning and design process for revitalizing Hicksville’s downtown. With several planning meetings, workshops and public input sessions, the town worked with residents on a vision for the future. Despite some slowdowns brought on by the worldwide pandemic, plans were adjusted accordingly and the culmination of those plans are now in the development stage.
Cornerstone Hicksville, expected to break ground in early 2027, joins the neighboring Alpine Development, a $111 million project currently underway on Newbridge Road featuring 189 residential opportunities with retail and restaurant space, Fieldstone at North Broadway, which features 104 new residential opportunities with retail and restaurant space, as well as the completed 18 housing units at 35 Broadway, which marked the first privately funded project in the area.
Additional private projects planned for this area include 10 owner-occupied townhouses and 20 residential units on West Cherry Street, as well as the former Chroma Paint site on Broadway, featuring 30 residential opportunities and a rooftop restaurant.
The Town of Oyster Bay is also investing millions of dollars in the creation of a Festival Plaza that includes a raised walking path with landscaping, seating areas, and safer pedestrian connection to the LIRR station. Kennedy Park is being expanded, with existing parking lots transformed into greenspace for outdoor activities like concerts and pop-up vendors. An Underline is being created to allow for pop-up shops and outdoor cafes under the tracks between Broadway and Newbridge roads. Additionally, the Town is installing new lighting, trees, benches, trash cans, and enhanced crosswalks.
“It’s great to see another downtown revitalization project take shape at the Hicksville train station,” said Eric Alexander, executive director of Vision Long Island. “After years of community planning, we were happy to see local civics, chamber of commerce and former school board members out in support. We know the developer, Terwilliger & Bartone who spearheaded in Farmingdale’s revitalization, will create a project that will turn a blighted area of the community into an economic benefit with additional housing options.”