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Family fun draws crowds to Nautical Festival
Overcast skies failed to dampen
the spirits of the crowd visiting
the recent Nautical Festival held
on Freeport's revitalized Woodcleft
Ave. There were games, clowns,
pony rides, and family attractions
all along the Nautical Mile, which
.was closed to vehicular traffic to
accommodate the people visiting
the' various booths and outdoor
cafes. A carnival complete with tra-ditional
attractions including a Ferris
wheel, was sponsored by the
Freeport Rotary Club.
Michael Casanova and Anthony Cussimono sat in the driver's seat of Jumbo', the Freeport Fire
Department's antique pumper, which was on display at the Festival thanks to the assistance of
Arthur Grempel and Charles Ricciardelli.
On hand to cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony for the Nautical Festival was Glen Cove City Mayor Tom Suozzi, Legislator
David Denenberg, Assemblywoman Kate Murray, Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Donald Gavin, Town Councihvoman Angle Cullin,
Mayor Bill Glacken, Vice Chairman of the Freeport Zoning Board Jorge Martinez, Comptroller Fred Parola, Trustee Don Miller and
Cassandra Goosby representing her mother, Hempstead Councihvoman Dorothy Goosby.
Joel and Jonathan Femin posed with two of their favorite cartoon characters,
• Cookie Monster and Angelica.
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JUNE, 2001 www.FreeportNY.com THE HOME OF CHAMPIONS
Village accepts proposal from Time Equities, Inc.
for Plaza West Site
Francis Greenberger and Mayor Bill Glacken in front of the former Meadowbrook Bank Building, the site of the proposed 'Atelier at Plaza West'.
Freeport Mayor Bill Glacken announced
the New York City-based firm, Time Equities,
Inc., won the approval of the Board of
Trustees for its proposal to build The Atelier
at Plaza West' on Sunrise Highway and North
Grove Street. The real estate firm competed
against three other companies in the village's
most recent request for proposals to develop
the property. Time Equities, Inc. (TEI) won the
unanimous support of the Board- appointed
task force. The plan includes the restoration
of the former Meadowbrook Bank Building.
"This proposal, which calls for creating a
live/work environment in a village/small town
setting with the construction of 200 luxury
rental units on five stories situated above a
two-story base of street level retail space
with convenient underground parking, is an
innovative concept in downtown revitaliza-tion.
We expect this project will serve as a
model for other communities on Long Island
and throughout New York State, which are
involved in restoring their central business
districts," said Mayor Glacken.
The Mayor met recently with Francis
Greenberger, Chairman and CEO of TEI to dis-cuss
details of the plan. The luxury apartment
complex will adjoin the existing bank build-ing
and will include a landscaped recreation-al
deck, a health clukwith a pool and access
to a central courtyard. The renovation plans
for the bank building provide space for a
restaurant on the first floor and mezzanine
level with the four upper levels designed to
attract business and professional tenants. The
proposal includes a covered walkway to the
nearby Long Island railroad station and local
bus depot.
TEI estimates the construction cost will
be $36.8 million with a purchase price of $2.1
million to acquire the property from the
Freeport Community Development Agency.
This is the second major project planned
between Freeport and TEI. The village recent-ly
signed a $3 million contract with TEI for the
construction of the 'Main Street Mews', a
three-story structure to be built on vacant
land located on Main St. between Sunrise
Highway and Merrick Road.
I'm pleased to announce that we have
entered" into negotiations' with Tinie
Equities, Inc., the real estate firm which sub-mitted
the winning proposal for the Plaza
West site. The plan outlined by TEI, known as
the 'Atelier at Plaza West,' calls for the
restoration and rehabilitation of the land-mark
bank building as well as the innovative
development of the adjacent property as
both residential and retail space. We expect
to begin construction on this site by the Fall
of 2002.
This is the second major project
between Freeport and TEI. We recently
signed a $3 million contract with the real
estate firm for the construction of the Main
Street Mews, an innovative structure to be
located on the vacant property in the center
of our downtown commercial area. The
Mews project is expected to break ground by
early Fall of 2001.
We are currently in the preliminary con-struction
phase of the extension of the Hook
and Ladder No. 1 firehouse on Church Street.
The expansion of this station house, to
accommodate larger, state-of-the-art fire
apparatus, is part of the overall downtown
rehabilitation plan, which included the
facade improvements to storefronts along
Church Street and Merrick Road. The first
phase of this revitalization project was com-pleted
last winter with the installation .of
new windows, doors, and storefronts creat-ing
a major facelift for the businesses locat-ed
in the center of our commercial business
district. The renovations also involved the
elimination of the exterior security gates and
the addition of 1920's style streetlights, a
further continuation of the classic "Main
Street" theme begun along Woodcleft Ave.
With these projects, Freeport has
entered a new era in revitalization. We have
progressed from the renovation of our
waterfront area to the reconstruction of our
central business district. Success, similar to
blight, is like an epidemic: it breeds on itself.
Since we began the restoration of Woodcleft
Ave., the progress on the 'Nautical Mile' has
taken on a life of its own. Today, many of the
businesses and merchants have improved
and reinvested in their property, and new
entrepreneurs are coming to Freeport every
day.
The same positive reaction we have seen
on our waterfront is occurring in our central
business district. The construction of the
Main Street Mews, on the west side of South
Main Street between Sunrise Highway and
Merrick Road, will feature a three-story
building with a restaurant/retail use on the
ground floor and professional office and/or
artists' live/work space on the second and
third floors.
The two TEI construction projects will
serve as catalysts for further revitalization of
our central "business "district." Future plans
include the construction of a moderate size
movie theater featuring four to six screens
and the continuation of our facade improve-ment
project.
I grew up in Freeport, and I remember
our downtown business district as a thriving
commercial area. Our village has always
been the best place to live, offering a cultur-ally
diverse population in a waterfront com-munity
readily accessible to New York City.
Soon another generation will know our vil-lage
the same way.
^Ground Breaking Takes Place for Major Extension to
Hook and Ladder No. 1
Among those on hand to officially break ground were Mayor Bill Glacken, Ex-Fire Chief Paul Hashogen, fire Chief Paul Russer,
Assistant Chief James Butler, Ex-Chief Ray Maguire, and Lou DiGrazia, Superintendent of the Public Works Department.
Modern firefighting equipment has
expanded and enlarged over the past
twenty years, and Freeport's Church Street
firehouse is expanding to accommodate
the larger, modern trucks. The extension is
being coordinated with the overall down-town
revitalization effort in the central
business district which included the recent
storefront facade improvement project.
The firehouse expansion project includes
the reconstruction and landscaping of an
adjacent brick walkway connecting munic-ipal
parking field lot # 2 with Church
Street.
Freeport's 'Adopt-a-Cop' program celebrates
with norses and a helicopter demonstration
The "adopted" police officers and
approximately 500 youngsters from Freeport's
Bayview Ave., Archer and Giblyn schools cele-brated
the seventh year of the program with a
party held at Freeport's Recreation Center.
The village's police department is noted
nationwide for the success of its Adopt-A-Cop
program, which began in Freeport, and has
been copied by other police departments
around the country. The program matches ele-mentary
school classes with local police offi-cers
in an effort to build a positive bond
between the children and the cops.
This year the annual celebration included
a demonstration by a Nassau County mounted
police officer who explained to the youngsters
how the horses are used to handle crowds.
The children also had a chance to see a county
helicopter, which is used to airlift accident vic-tims
to medical help in emergencies.
Die youngsters
hod plenty of
questions for
the Nossou County
mounted
Mayor Bill Glacken attended the event
and commended Freeport Police Chief Michael
Woodward on the innovative program,
adding, "The Freeport Police Department's
Adopt-a-Cop program has had an excellent
impact on our children, providing them with
police officers as mentors and role models."
The program began at the Bayview Ave.
school and is now active in the Archer St. and
Giblyn schools.
Officer Gene Holl kneels in front of his bike surrounded by fourth grade youngsters
from the Giblyn school. Pictured with the youngsters are their teacher Robin Goelz,
Michael Carroll, representing State Senator Charles Fuschillo, Hempstead Town
Countirwomon Angle Cullin, Mayor Bill Glacken, Nassau Assistant District Attorney
Patricia Wright and Freeport Police Chief Michael Woodward.
Nassau County
air rescue
helicopter with
school
children.
Freeport Honors
its Heroes
The Freeport Police Department's recent awards ceremony at the
Coral House provided the opportunity for Mayor Bill Glacken and
Trustees Don Miller and Bill White, Jr., to personally thank the officers
for their individual acts of bravery in the line of duty.
Among those singled out for Meritorious Awards were
Detectives Zina Leftenant and Bienvenido Andujar for their investiga-tion
of several high profile cases which ultimately resulted in arrests.
Police Chief Michael Woodward, Detective Zina Leftenant, Mayor Bill Glacken, Detective Bienvenido Andujar and
Trustees Don Miller and Bill White, Jr.
South Shore Healthcare Center
Holds Health and Fitness Fair
There were balloons for the youngsters visiting from the Hi-Hello
Childcare Center and free blood pressure screening and other fitness
information for the adults at the recent Senior Health and Fitness Fair
sponsored by the South Shore Healthcare Center in Freeport.
