New funding is vital to Central Islip development 

An $800,000 state grant for Central Islip will be used to connect a stretch of downtown to a sewer system, which officials say is key to the area’s larger-scale revitalization.

New York's Empire State Development awarded the grant to Islip Town Dec. 18. The money will pay for the infrastructure work needed to link a 10-block radius of Central Islip to a nearby existing sewer system, said Islip spokeswoman Caroline Smith.

Officials are hoping to transform the hamlet’s central corridor — along Carleton Avenue, from the Central Islip Long Island Rail Road Station south to Smith Street — with a nearly $10 million state grant.

Central Islip in August was the recipient of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2018 Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant.

“The revitalization of Central Islip will be transformational to the community and to the Town as a whole, and this project is a critical component to its success,” Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a statement.

A sewer system enables developers to build up for projects such as apartments or mixed-used buildings, Smith said in an email.

“There’s not a lot of additional building that can occur on these properties without sewers,” she said.

The existing sewer system on Carleton Avenue stops south of Smith Street, Smith said.

Cameron Engineering and Associates, based in Woodbury, will design the plans for the sewer system extension, she said.

Representatives for Cameron Engineering could not be reached for comment.

In October, town officials  said a 17-person committee would work with consulting firm HR&A Advisors Inc. to brainstorm potential projects.

At a public input session last month, residents envisioned initiatives such as affordable housing, boutiques and restaurants.

The next public session will be held Feb. 4 at Central Islip High School.

Nancy Manfredonia, a Central Islip resident for decades, who sits on the committee that will determine how to spend the $10 million grant, welcomed word of more funding.

“This is excellent news,” she said. “I’m looking forward to having a very vibrant downtown . . . I don’t think we could do all that we’d like to do without the sewers. With the sewers, we can hit the ground running. It will really encourage the developers to come in with strong plans.”