Prospect Street in New Cassel renamed in honor of Bishop Lionel Harvey

Bishop Lionel Harvey remembers what Prospect Avenue in New Cassel looked like more than two decades ago.

The streets weren’t walkable, businesses were scarce, people were living in poor conditions and had little hope in an area neglected for much of the 20th century.

“We rolled our sleeves up and said people deserved a better quality of life,” said Harvey, 65. “We came in and transformed the community.”

That same street, which has been revitalized with new businesses, affordable housing, fewer lanes and better food options, now bears Harvey’s name after a ceremonial street renaming on Saturday outside First Baptist Cathedral of Westbury, a place where he solidified himself as a beacon in the community.

Around 100 people attended the event, including elected officials and faith leaders.

Nassau County Legis. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury) said at the ceremony that Harvey has “served as a catalyst of change in this community.”

Harvey was a star basketball player for Malverne High School and played at the collegiate level at the University of Cincinnati and later at Hofstra University. 

He created the nonprofit Unified New Cassel Community Revitalization Corp. and served as its president and CEO — working to reverse the fortunes of an area that had few resources. Its revitalization is still ongoing, officials said.

He received the New York State Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2007 and the White House President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2010.

During the height of the pandemic, Harvey partnered with the state to coordinate COVID-19 testing at the church while coordinating food distribution for more than 30,000 people. 

He most recently served as Nassau County’s deputy director of minority affairs and serves as special assistant to the commissioner of the Nassau County Board of Elections.

“He has done a yeoman’s job. Not only here, but throughout this county,” said Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference.

Standing beside their children, Harvey’s wife, Angela, commended her husband for his dedication to the community over the past 25 years.

“I see a man that has integrity, a man that is honest, a man of his word,” Angela Harvey said. “What you see is what you get.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said Harvey has been “an amazing community leader,” before reading a letter written to the bishop by President Joe Biden.

“Faith leaders like you are an essential part of the fabric of our nation,” Suozzi read from the letter.

Margaret Miller-Scott, a community activist and a resident of the area for over 60 years, said she “has seen changes in the community,” adding, “we’re not going back, we’re going forward.”

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ