What to expect in the Gilgo murders case, Sun Vet Mall's revamp and more on Long Island in 2024

New leadership — locally and perhaps in the White House, too — new dining options at Penn Station and new trials of high-profile cases. As expected, 2024 will have its share of beginnings, but the new year also will bring some noteworthy endings, too: among them, the final concert of Billy Joel's Madison Square Garden residency and the closing of a town landfill that has been steeped in controversy.

And beyond the fresh starts and big finales, 2024 will bring plenty of other changes and developments, many that could reshape the Island. How do we know?

Our reporters, through their dogged reporting and knowledgeable sources, provide an exclusive sneak peek into what Long Islanders can expect in 2024.

January

Suffolk's new county executive. Suffolk County Executive-elect Ed Romaine's top priorities include appointing new commissioners for the police and public works departments, hiring more detectives and strengthening the relationship between the county executive’s office and the county legislature.

Romaine is expected to be sworn in as the county’s top elected official on Monday. A Republican from Center Moriches, he has served as Brookhaven Town supervisor since 2012 and previously was county clerk and a county legislator. He replaces Steve Bellone, a Democrat who is term-limited after 12 years in office. Romaine will be the ninth county executive and first Republican elected to the office since 1999. — Vera Chinese

Wrong-way DWI crash. Amandeep Singh, the alleged wrong-way drunken driver charged in the May 3 death of two Roslyn High School tennis stars in Jericho, could face trial in 2024. Singh, 34, Roslyn, rejected a plea offer in November from prosecutors to serve 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison on the top charge of aggravated vehicular homicide and no additional jail time on the remaining charges. He is due back in court Jan. 17, as acting State Supreme Court Justice Helene Gugerty considers a defense motion to, among other things, suppress statements Singh made to police before being read his Miranda rights.

The May 3 crash claimed the lives of Roslyn freshmen Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz and injured two older teammates. — Grant Parpan

New food options at Penn. More than four years after all the shops and restaurants along the Long Island Rail Road’s Penn Station concourse closed for renovations, several new eateries are set to open in January, according to retail operator Vornado Realty Trust. They include Pret a Manger, Dos Toros, Shake Shack and Le Café. Other food vendors, including Raising Canes, Rose’s Pizza, Chick-fil-A, Chopt and Dunkin’, are scheduled to open in the spring. — Alfonso Castillo

New Suffolk police commissioner expected. Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison resigned his top-cop post in late 2023, clearing the way for Romaine to appoint a new commissioner to lead the department. The County Legislature votes on whether to confirm the appointment. — Nicole Fuller

Anti-gang activist killing. Ann Marie Drago, the Patchogue woman who twice has been tried for criminally negligent homicide for striking and killing anti-gang activist Evelyn Rodriguez with her SUV, should learn in January if she will face trial for a third time. Drago, whose initial conviction was overturned before a split jury led to a mistrial in October, is next scheduled to appear in court Jan. 12.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has said he intends to pursue a new trial. Drago also will be sentenced at that time on a petit larceny conviction for taking items Rodriguez had placed at a memorial for her daughter, Kayla Cuevas, who was killed by MS-13 gang members on the same Brentwood street where her mother died exactly two years later. — Grant Parpan

Minimum wage increases. The minimum wage throughout Long Island, New York City and Westchester is set to go to $16 an hour on Monday. The minimum wage will go up to $15 an hour in the rest of the state. For home care aides, the minimum hourly rate will go to $18.55 an hour for those working on Long Island, in New York City and Westchester. The hourly rate for home health aides elsewhere in the state will go up to $17.55. — Victor Ocasio

Above-normal snowfall? National Weather Service meteorologists expect the coming months will bring warmer-than-average temperatures and more storms to the East Coast than last year’s winter.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts winter temperatures, precipitation and snowfall all will be above normal, with the coldest of the cold weather coming between late January and mid-February. The lamanac also predicts April and May will be “warmer and wetter” than usual, while summer will be hotter than average — though rainfall will be below average in the north.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center agrees. It claims there’s a 40%-to-50% chance Long Islanders will see above-normal temperatures for January, February and March — with a 33%-to-40% chance of greater seasonal precipitation, though, due to higher temperatures, it likely will be more rain and sleet than snow.

Temperatures March through May figure to be warmer, with normal precipitation. For June through August, there is as much as an 80% chance temperatures will be above normal and a 40%-to-50% chance precipitation amounts will be above normal. For September through December, there’s as much as a 50% chance of higher temperatures — though with normal precipitation. — John Valenti and Nicholas Spangler

Nassau Leg elects new leadership. The Nassau County Legislature reconvenes on Friday to elect its first new presiding officer since 2018 and its first new minority leader since 2011, following the retirements of legislators Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) and Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport). — Scott Eidler

New town supervisors. Republican Dan Panico will be sworn in as Brookhaven’s new supervisor, succeeding Romaine. Tim Hubbard will be sworn in as the next Riverhead supervisor. He has served as town councilman since 2015. Democrat Al Krupski will be sworn in as Southold’s new supervisor. He succeeds Scott Russell, who did not seek reelection after 18 years in office.

Maria Moore, the mayor of Westhampton Beach Village, will be sworn in as supervisor of Southampton Town. Moore, a Democrat, succeeds term-limited Jay Schneiderman. Democrat Kathee Burke-Gonzalez will be sworn in as supervisor of East Hampton Town to replace the retiring Peter Van Scoyoc. And Republican Amber Brach-Williams will be sworn in as supervisor of Shelter Island Town. She replaces Gerard Siller, who lost a Democratic primary. — Carl MacGowan, Tara Smith and Joe Werkmeister

First-of-its-kind naval training. A new program to train students for the specialized workforce that supports the Navy’s submarines will open in January at Suffolk County Community College — the first-of-its-kind training opportunity offered by the school. The U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base awarded the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Training program $2 million over five years to recruit and train the next generation of Computer Numerical Control machine operators and welders in support of the mission of one Columbia Class and two Virginia Class submarines.

Long Island is home to one of the densest pockets of submarine manufacturers. Students can now register for the spring semester, which opens Jan. 22. — Joie Tyrrell

Federal budget measure expires. The short-term federal spending measure for programs covered by the Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD bills expires on Jan. 19 unless Congress passes a permanent appropriation through Sept. 30 or another stopgap bill. — Tom Brune

Nassau assessment roll released. Nassau County releases its 2025-26 Tentative Assessment Roll on Tuesday. Nassau homeowners have until March 1 to appeal their property values. — Scott Eidler

State of the State. In the first half of January, Gov. Kathy Hochul will present her State of the State message that will outline her priorities for the 2024 legislative session. This is usually a governor’s key speech that will include aggressive policy proposals and major construction projects. — Yancey Roy

Hunting season underway. Suffolk County's duck hunting season, which started Dec. 9, runs until Jan. 28 — though only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, according to the county's website. For other migratory game on Long Island, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said there’s a two-bird daily limit on scaup, with the season running Jan. 9-28, while the hunting of snow geese runs until March 10. Brant can be hunted through Jan. 28. Canada goose dates vary across the three regions of Long Island — Western, Central and Eastern — as do the limits on birds. Check the DEC website for further details or consult your county government offices. — John Valenti

New community kitchen and market. Work on a 5,000-square-foot community kitchen and indoor farmer’s market is underway in Riverhead. The facility, at the corner of Main Road and Route 105, will be the future headquarters for the nonprofit East End Food Institute. The popular weekend farmer’s market, currently held outdoors under a tent, is expected to move into the new facility this winter. — Tara Smith

The Legislature returns. The state Legislature convenes its 2024 legislative session on or around Jan. 4. The session officially opens with the governor’s State of the State speech, but legislative committees can begin meeting and legislators meet with colleagues to gain support for bills. — Yancey Roy

Disney heroes on skates. Disney On Ice returns to UBS Arena in Elmont, this time bringing its Find Your Hero show. Performances run from Thursday to Jan. 7.

February

Suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer back in court. Rex A. Heuermann, the Massapequa Park architect who was arrested on July 13 and charged with the killings of three women whose remains were found near Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago, is due back in court for his criminal case on Feb. 6.

Suffolk prosecutors have said they linked the married father of two adult children to the crimes through DNA, cell site data and burner phones. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer, Michael J. Brown, said Heuermann has personally professed his innocence. As the case moves toward a possible trial, there are possible discovery battles in the future, likely over disclosure of DNA testing. There is also a possibility of a motion looming for a change of venue. — Nicole Fuller

Filling Santos' seat. Gov. Kathy Hochul selected Feb. 13 for a special election to replace expelled Rep. George Santos, setting up a 70-day sprint for a contest with national implications. By setting it just ahead of the Presidents Day holiday, Hochul chose the date fellow Democrats wanted to try to maximize turnout. 

Nassau Republicans launched Mazi Melesa Pilip into the national spotlight as their pick. Pilip, 44, a Nassau County legislator from Great Neck, faces Tom Suozzi, a former Nassau County executive and congressman. Both are registered Democrats. Pilip will run on the Republican and Conservative party lines.

Santos, a Republican facing a 23-count criminal indictment centering on campaign-finance irregularities, made history when he became only the sixth member of Congress to be expelled. The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Santos’ two-year term and would need to run again in November for a full term. It comes with an annual salary of $174,000. — Yancey Roy and Scott Eidler

Former President Donald Trump in court. In a historic first for a former president of the United States, Donald Trump was indicted in Manhattan in April 2023 on charges that he made hush money payments in order to cover up an affair and impact the result of the 2016 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to the alleged hush money payments made to his ex-advisor, Michael Cohen. Trump is due back in court on Feb. 15 and his trial is scheduled to begin on March 25. — Nicole Fuller

Reshaping Route 110. Taking the first steps toward transforming the Melville corridor along and near Route 110 from an industrial hub to a more walkable downtown is high on the agenda for the Town of Huntington. Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said he expects to begin holding public hearings in February to change zoning around the Maxess Road area from industrial to mixed use.

He said the change would allow office buildings in the area, many of which are vacant or have low occupancy rates, to be used for multifamily housing above retail, restaurants or offices. Smyth said changing the area to have more of a Main Street vibe will take at least a decade but ultimately will revive the area and shore up the tax revenue as demand for office space declines. — Deborah Morris

Another federal budget measure expires. The short-term federal spending measure expires on Feb. 2 for programs covered by the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations bills unless Congress passes a permanent appropriation through Sept. 30 or another stopgap bill. — Tom Brune

Hospital to complete surgical pavilion. Northwell Health aims to complete a 288,000-square-foot surgical pavilion at North Shore University Hospital. The $560 million Petrocelli Advanced Surgical Pavilion is designed to advance the capabilities of the Level I trauma center and teaching hospital, which is connected to one of the busiest emergency departments in the metro area. The pavilion will have 18 operating rooms, 132 intensive care rooms and two levels of below-ground parking. — Sarina Trangle

Monster Jam is back. UBS Arena will host Monster Jam, with shows running from Feb. 2-4.

Early 2024

Upscale hotel breaks ground. Construction on an upscale 40-room hotel known as The Enclaves in Southold is expected to begin in February or March, according to project developers. The $4.9 million project includes cottages, swimming pools, a spa and restaurant, and is expected to open in 2025. — Tara Smith

Fatal chokehold case. The manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide case against Daniel Penny, the Long Island native accused of killing an agitated subway rider after putting him in a chokehold, is expected to continue in Manhattan criminal court. Penny, 24, of Queens pleaded not guilty in June to the charges during a four-minute arraignment in lower Manhattan. The former U.S. Marine was charged in the May 1 death of Jordan Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator who authorities said struggled with mental illness and homelessness in recent years. — Anthony M. DeStefano

Mall transformation continues. Over in Westbury, the owner of Samanea New York continues working to revamp what was a mostly vacant mall by bringing in restaurant, entertainment and home furnishings tenants, which are less susceptible to online competitors than apparel and shoe stores.

Formerly called the Mall at the Source, the retail property is expected to welcome several new tenants next year, including Empire Adventure Park, which will be a family entertainment center, Smash-It Therapy, a rage room, and Ryco’s Escape Room in the first quarter of the year, according to Dominic Coluccio, director of real estate for the mall.

The Gravity Vault, an indoor rock-climbing gym franchise, will open in the third quarter. Lesso Mall Development Long Island Inc., a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Lesso Group Holdings Ltd., bought the property for $92 million in 2017, changed its name, and then completed a $30 million renovation of the property in March 2021. — Tory N. Parrish

East River tunnel project. Work is set to begin on a $1.6 billion effort to rebuild two of the East River rail tunnels that were badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, according to Amtrak. The work is expected to last through 2027, and will require the LIRR, Amtrak and NJ Transit to make do with just three of the four tunnels into and out of Penn Station until the project is complete. — Alfonso Castillo

Exotic meat grocer debuts on LI. A grocer that specializes in delivering frozen, hard-to-find meat, such as alligator, ostrich and rabbit, will open its first stores in New York state in 2024 on Long Island.

Wild Fork plans to open three Long Island stores: in Lake Grove, at 2021A Moriches Rd., in part of a former Pier 1 Imports space; Plainview, at 409 S. Oyster Bay Rd., in Woodbury Plaza in a space formerly occupied by lingerie store Victoria’s Secret; and West Hempstead, at 603 Hempstead Tpke., in a space vacated by a Boston Market eatery.

The West Hempstead store will open in March or April, and the other two stores will open later in the year, said Alex Bord, head of development for Wild Fork. Wild Fork launched as an online-only retailer in South Florida in 2018, then opened its first brick-and-mortar store in the United States the same year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. — Tory N. Parrish

Arts center opens. The Greenport Village Cinema will officially reopen as the North Fork Arts Center, bringing a vibrant hub of arts, cinema and culture to the seaside village. Nearly 600 donors raised more than $1 million to support the initiative. — Tara Smith

March

MS-13 killings federal trial. Two alleged members of MS-13 accused of murdering two Brentwood teenagers in 2016 — slayings that focused the nation’s attention on Long Island’s gang issues — are scheduled to go on trial on March 4.

Alexi Saenz, also known as “Blasty” and “Big Homie,” was the leader of MS-13’s Brentwood- and Central Islip-based Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside clique. His brother Jairo Saenz was his No. 2, according to federal prosecutors. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in November it was reversing course and would not seek the death penalty for the brothers in connection with their alleged roles in the September 2016 murders of Brentwood teens Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15. The brothers also are charged in the deaths of Michael Johnson, Oscar Acosta, Javier Castillo, Dewann Stacks and Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla.

The Brentwood killings received nationwide attention and Cuevas’ mother, Evelyn Rodriguez, became an anti-gang activist who was the guest of then-President Donald Trump during the 2018 State of the Union address. The Saenz brothers face multiple charges, including racketeering, murder, attempted murder, assault, obstruction of justice, arson and related firearms and conspiracy charges. — Michael O'Keefe

A new LIRR president? After Catherine Rinaldi announced she was stepping down as interim president of the Long Island Rail Road, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Janno Lieber said in September that the MTA had begun a search for a permanent LIRR president and that it would take about six months. Robert Free, who was appointed acting LIRR president, is being considered for the permanent post, Lieber said. — Alfonso Castillo

The circus comes to town. Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus comes to UBS Arena in Elmont for seven shows, running from March 8-10.

Basketball at Barclays. Brooklyn will get a little taste of March Madness when the Barclays Center hosts first- and second-round games of the NCAA Tournament in men’s basketball from March 22-24. — Mark LaMonica

Spring

Sun Vet Mall's revamp starts. New construction for the redevelopment of the former Sun Vet Mall as a shopping center will start in the spring, according to the lead developer. The nearly vacant Holbrook mall, which has been renamed The Shops at SunVet as part of its $87 million revamp, will be converted to an open-air shopping center with a more upscale mix of tenants, including Whole Foods Market.

Built in 1973 at 5801 Sunrise Hwy., the once-bustling, 282,000-square-foot mall, which sits on 18 acres, will be transformed into a 168,000-square-foot shopping center, including the six smaller out-parcels that will be constructed around the main building.

Two pieces of the existing mall structure will be used: The right side of the mall will become the shopping center’s main building, with 115,900 square feet for tenants, and the left side will be converted to a separate 28,850-square-foot row of shops, said Rebecca Wing, vice president of investments at Regency Centers Corp., a Jacksonville, Florida-based real estate investment trust that is the lead partner in a joint venture to redevelop the mall. Most of the exterior work on the project should be done by 2025, Wing said.

Citibank and Sun Vet Wines and Liquors are the only two tenants left in the mall. Citibank will remain open until it relocates to its new, free-standing building in the shopping center in late 2024, Regency said. Next year, a new, free-standing Starbucks with two drive-thrus, one for mobile orders only, but no indoor seating, will open. Whole Foods, Aspen Dental and a Wells Fargo Bank will open at the Holbrook property in 2025, Wing said. — Tory N. Parrish

New congestion pricing tolls. After decades of debate and planning, the MTA’s congestion pricing plan could take effect in late spring, agency officials have said. The plan would charge most vehicles up to $15 for driving below 60th Street in Manhattan. The MTA aims to reduce traffic congestion in the city, while also generating $1 billion in annual toll revenue. A pair of federal lawsuits filed by New Jersey officials could delay implementation of the plan. — Alfonso Castillo

Phase 2 of Station Yards. New shops, restaurants and other retail stores are to open at Station Yards, the $1 billion mixed-use development on the north side of the Long Island Rail Road tracks in Ronkonkoma. The retail section is the second phase of the five-phase project, formerly known as Ronkonkoma Hub. When completed, Station Yards is expected to include a total of up to 1,450 residential units, 360,000 square feet of office space and 195,000 square feet of retail. — Carl MacGowan

The last 'unicorns' arrive. After multiple setbacks in the rollout of the LIRR’s newest fleet of trains, the railroad has said it is eyeing May for the arrival of the last of the 202 M9 train cars. The cars, which were originally expected to all be in place by 2020, have been dubbed “unicorns” by commuters, because of how rare it is to ride one. As of October, the M9s accounted for 176 of the LIRR’s 1,100 electric rail cars. — Alfonso Castillo

Hospital expands ER. Mount Sinai Health System is scheduled to finish a 100,000-square-foot expansion of the emergency department on its Oceanside campus. The $135 million Feil Family Pavilion project will increase the capacity of the intensive and critical care units, add nine operating suites and modernize the operating room. — Sarina Trangle

Homegrown marijuana. By late May, state regulators are obligated to have issued rules and regulations that will allow New Yorkers to grow marijuana at home. Finalizing such measures typically takes several more months. Once regulations are in place, an adult may have up to three mature or flowering plants and three immature plants at home, with each household limited to six of each, state law says. — Sarina Trangle

NY primaries. On April 2, enrolled members of the major parties make their choice for presidential nominees. The winners of the Republican primary and the Democratic primary will get the support of delegates to the Democratic and Republican conventions, where enrolled party members will select their party’s nominee. — Yancey Roy

Nassau assessments finalized. The final Nassau County Assessment Roll for 2024-25 is published on April 1, including changes made by the Assessment Review Commission. The deadline to file for judicial relief, with the Small Claims Assessment Review, is April 30. — Scott Eidler

Town wraps up development plan. Riverhead’s comprehensive plan is on track to being completed in April. The planning document will guide land use and development in town for the future. It was last updated in 2003. — Tara Smith

Completion of $75M redevelopment. The Huntington Shopping Center’s $75 million redevelopment is scheduled to be finished, according to Federal Realty Investment Trust, the center’s Rockville, Maryland-based owner.

Built in 1962 on a 21-acre site at 350 Walt Whitman Rd., the shopping center will welcome several new stores in 2024, including Whole Foods Market, which will be the largest tenant on the property when the 43,609-square-foot supermarket opens; The Container Store, which will open its second Long Island location in the spring; and high-end kitchenware store Williams Sonoma. — Tory N. Parrish

Nordstrom Rack opening. Nordstrom Inc.’s expansion of its off-price chain to help boost the company’s lagging sales will include Long Island in 2024. A Nordstrom Rack will open in a 24,000-square-foot space at Gardiner Manor Mall in Bay Shore in the spring, according to Nordstrom Inc. The store will move into a space at 854 Sunrise Hwy., which Staples vacated in November, said Daniel Glazer, vice president in the Woodbury office of Ripco Real Estate, the firm that represents the landlord in leasing the shopping center.

Nordstrom Inc. has 260 Nordstrom Racks, including two in Garden City and Manhasset. Of the company’s 93 full-price, high-end Nordstrom stores, only one is on Long Island, at the Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City. — Tory N. Parrish

June

Belmont Stakes not at Belmont. One of Long Island’s most notable sporting events will temporarily uproot to upstate. The Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course on June 8, to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a “new and re-imagined” Belmont Park, the home of the third leg of the Triple Crown, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. 

The $455 million Belmont renovation will involve knocking down the massive 1.25 million-square-foot grandstand that has been in place since 1968 and replacing it with one that's roughly 275,000 square feet. — Maureen Mullarkey

Cricket's World Cup. A 34,000-seat temporary stadium will be built in Eisenhower Park as part of Nassau County's plan to host one of the largest and most-viewed international sporting events in the world, the 2024 cricket World Cup, officials said.

The competition, which will be held June 4-30, is being co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies. — Robert Brodsky

Supreme Court weighs in on gun rights. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hand down its opinion in United States v. Rahimi, which will determine whether the federal law that prohibits possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic-violence restraining orders violates the Second Amendment. The ruling also could reshape the requirement in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen that laws affecting the Second Amendment must have a basis in history dating to the founding of the United States. — Tom Brune

College offers new degree. Hofstra University will offer a new degree. The school of Health Professions and Human Services is offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and will be accepting its first students in the summer. — Joie Tyrrell

New senior center. Construction on East Hampton Town’s 22,000-square-foot senior center in Amagansett is expected to begin. The East Hampton Town Board this year selected a design for the center, which will provide dedicated space for a wellness room, arts and crafts room and a dining room about twice the size of the current space, among other amenities. Construction is expected to take 18 months. Town officials have said the town’s current senior center is inadequate to accommodate the growing adult population. — Joe Werkmeister

Mid-to-late 2024

Three more Aldis. Discount grocers will continue their expansions on Long Island next year. Aldi plans to open three more Long Island grocery stores — in East Northport, at 4000 Jericho Tpke.; Medford, at 2799 Route 112; and Central Islip, at 570 South Research Place. The stores likely will open in the second half of the year, said Chris Daniels, vice president of the grocer’s South Windsor Division, which is most of the country’s New England region. A German chain, Aldi has more than 2,000 stores in 36 states, including 13 on Long Island. — Tory N. Parrish

And three more Burlingtons. Burlington's plan to improve sales by more than doubling its number of stores, using some smaller spaces, includes adding three more locations on Long Island next year. The off-price chain of department stores will open locations in Oceanside, at 3640 Long Beach Rd.; Riverhead, at 1440 Old Country Rd.; and Selden, at 71 Middle Country Rd.  Burlington has more than 1,000 stores, including 11 on Long Island.  — Tory N. Parrish

More health care at the mall. In late summer or early fall, Stony Brook Medicine expects to wrap up the second phase of its project to transform retail space at Smith Haven Mall into an advanced specialty care center. The second phase will bring about 33,050 square feet on line for orthopedics, OBGYN and radiology services, according to Todd Griffin, vice president for clinical services and vice dean for clinical affairs at Stony Brook Medicine.

Stony Brook already is using about 60,000 square feet of the building and plans to finish the fifth and final stage of the project in 2025 or 2026, Griffin said. — Sarina Trangle

Summer

Billy Joel ends his MSG residency. The Piano Man began his monthly, sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in January 2014, and will have played 104 of them when he bids farewell this summer. The July 25 show also will mark his 150th concert overall at the storied Manhattan arena. “I’m kind of flabbergasted that it lasted as long as it did,” Joel said in June 2023, when he broke the news. “My team tells me that we can continue to sell tickets but … I don’t know … 150 shows, 10 years — it’s like, ‘All right, already.' ” — Andy Edelstein

Presidential nominees announced. From July 15-18, Republicans hold their presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee. Democrats hold their presidential nominating convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22. — Tom Brune

'90s nostalgia at the beach. New Kids on the Block (Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood) will bring its “Magic Summer Tour” to Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on Aug. 4, with special guests Paula Abdul and Jazzy Jeff. The show is a reimagining of the group’s popular 1990 tour of the same name. — Andy Edelstein

September 

Santos trial expected. Former Rep. George Santos is slated to go on trial beginning Sept. 9 in federal court in Central Islip on a 13-count indictment alleging fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and theft. Federal prosecutors claim Santos engaged in several schemes, including using his campaign contributions for personal expenses, such as Botox injections and shopping at luxury boutiques. He’s pleaded not guilty. — Nicole Fuller

Deadline for pandemic-relief funds. School districts are required to budget any remaining federal pandemic-relief money and spend it within the following 120 days, under federal guidelines. Exact dollar amounts are not yet known, but a Newsday survey in 2022 found that districts on Long Island were due to spend $175 million in pandemic aid during the current 2023-24 school term. Some school leaders have described the coming cutoff in federal assistance as a fiscal “cliff.” However, analysis has shown that hikes in state aid could help compensate for any losses in federal dollars. — John Hildebrand

Fall

Overhaul of graduation standards. The Board of Regents, which sets much of the state’s education policy, is scheduled to take initial action on a proposed overhaul of high school graduation standards. Most likely, this will include a reduced role for Regents exams, versions of which have been in place since 1865. A “blue ribbon” state advisory commission recommended in November that the traditional exams be supplemented with new “performance-based” assessments but provided few details on when and how this would be done. In any case, state education officials say Regents exams will continue to be administered for the foreseeable future, in part because these types of tests are required by federal law. — John Hildebrand

$35M medical hub opens. Mount Sinai Health System anticipates finishing the conversion of a 60,000-square-foot office building in Wantagh into a multi-specialty medical hub. The $35 million project will provide space for cardiovascular, digestive health, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, women's health and cancer care, along with lab and radiology services. The pavilion will include about 50 private exam and consultation rooms. — Sarina Trangle

MTA capital plan. The MTA’s next five-year Capital Program, which will fund infrastructure investments through 2029, is expected to be released in the fall. MTA officials have signaled the initiative could include plans to rebuild the Long Island Rail Road’s tunnel to Brooklyn, buy 340 new LIRR rail cars and repaint dozens of the railroad’s most worn and rusty bridges. The MTA’s current Capital Program cost around $55 billion — a record — and officials have said they expect the next plan will be even bigger. — Alfonso Castillo

Presidential debates, maybe? Three debates for next year's presidential general election are set to be held in college towns in Texas, Virginia and Utah between Sept. 16 and Oct. 9 — though it remains to be seen whether either party's candidate will actually participate.

A new COVID vaccine? The new COVID-19 vaccine, which was updated to better target variants of the virus now circulating, may be replaced by another vaccine in the fall.

“I think it will definitely be an annual vaccine,” Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases for Stony Brook Medicine, said in September, after the federal government approved the new vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration in January 2023 proposed an annual COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the annual flu vaccine, that would be based on which COVID-19 variants are dominant in June of every year and would be predicted to be circulating in the future. Vaccine production would then occur in September. No final decision has been made on an annual vaccine. — David Olson

Oyster Festival. The 41st annual waterside attraction is expected to return. In the past, the event has drawn more than 150,000 people to Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in historic Oyster Bay.

Election Day. Voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 with the U.S. presidency up for grabs, along with 26 congressional seats — including that of U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who is up for reelection — all 63 seats in the State Senate and all 150 seats in the state Assembly. The Assembly and Senate are now controlled by Democrats.  — Tom Brune and Yancey Roy

Bookstore downsizing. A Barnes & Noble store will go about 50% smaller with its relocation from East Northport. The bookstore has been in a 27,911-square-foot space at 4000 Jericho Tpke. in the Huntington Square shopping center since 2008. In early fall, the store will relocate six miles away to a 14,000-square-foot space in a strip center at 301 Walt Whitman Rd., which is a section of the busy Route 110 corridor, said Janine Flanigan, senior director of store planning and design for Barnes & Noble Inc.

The East Northport store will close Jan. 21, and its approximately 30 employees will be offered jobs at the chain’s other locations until the new store opens, Flanigan said. In the second half of 2024, an Aldi grocery store will open in the East Northport space that Barnes & Noble is exiting. — Tory N. Parrish

December

Controversial landfill closing. Brookhaven is to start closing the town landfill, the 50-year-old municipal dump that has been cited by state and federal authorities for odor infractions and failure to control noxious gases. The landfill will no longer accept construction and demolition debris after December 2024; the town has not set a date for when it will stop taking in ash from incinerators. — Carl MacGowan

Sometime in 2024

New LIPA rates. The Long Island Power Authority in 2024 will begin phasing in a new rate structure that will reward those who shift more of their usage to off-peak power periods, while offering a first-year money-back guarantee if customers' bills rise under the new plan. LIPA has had time-of-day, or time-of-use, rates in the past, but under the new, more simplified structure, around 100,000 customers next year will be automatically enrolled into the new rate and must opt out if they don’t want to participate. A larger-scale rollout is set for 2025. — Mark Harrington

A long-anticipated Target. A Target planned for New Hyde Park has been a long time coming. The new store, plans for which were announced in 2019, is under construction as an anchor that will be in a space that Sears vacated in 2018 in the Lake Success Shopping Center.

The discount retailer will occupy a three-level, approximately 115,000-square-foot end unit at 1400 Union Tpke. The store will include a Starbucks and CVS pharmacy, according to building plans Target submitted to the Town of North Hempstead.

Target’s opening was delayed in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the store will open in 2024, said Robert Peck, managing agent and partner in Lake Success Shopping Center LLC. Target Corp. declined to disclose details about the store. — Tory N. Parrish

Health care replaces shuttered Lord & Taylor. NYU Langone Health will begin renovating about 162,000 square feet in the former Lord & Taylor’s in Manhasset, where it plans to offer ambulatory surgery and endoscopy and set up a physician's practice with 75 doctors, 65 exam rooms and an imaging center. — Sarina Trangle

Redevelopment plans. Jericho-based developer Beechwood Organization is expected to unveil its plan to redevelop a blighted half-mile stretch of Neighborhood Road in downtown Mastic Beach. Beechwood was tapped by Brookhaven Town in 2021 to propose a plan to develop housing, shops and restaurants in the former village, which disbanded in 2017 amid fiscal and political problems. — Carl MacGowan

College adding $75M building. Farmingdale State College will break ground on a $75 million computer science building, which will provide a once-in-a-generation leap forward to support the emerging, high-demand careers integral to Long Island’s future, according to President John S. Nader. In addition, the college will launch a program in Artificial Intelligence Management and prepare for the start of its new Nursing Administration master's. — Joie Tyrrell

Revitalizing downtown. Plans for Riverhead’s new Town Square will take a step forward as the town begins work on a new adaptive playground and amphitheater planned to revitalize the Main Street area. — Tara Smith

New ideas for park development. Residents are eagerly awaiting to see what happens next with the Enterprise Park at Calverton. The town board in fall 2023 canceled a $40 million land deal to sell the property and plans to solicit new ideas for the site. — Tara Smith

A century of Long Island state parks. Created by the New York State Legislature with Gov. Al Smith as its first president and Robert Moses, who drafted the bill, as its first commissioner, the Long Island State Park Commission was born in 1924. The Long Island region is planning a series of celebrations at its parks and historic sties throughout 2024 to mark the 100th anniversary. Regional Director George Gorman said there are even plans for a giant birthday cake.

“We’re going to have a huge cake on the boardwalk at Jones Beach,” Gorman said. “People believe I do this because my parents never bought me a birthday cake. Not true. I just love celebrations.” While most events are still in the planning stages, you can keep track of dates and locations by visiting the state parks website at parks.ny.gov. — John Valenti

Correction: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect date for the Republican National Convention.