Huntington to demolish former bank, add free parking
The Town of Huntington to demolish the Chase building to make way for parking. Credit: Rick Kopstein
After a five-year delay, Huntington officials are moving forward on a plan to bring more free parking to downtown.
The town board voted 5-0 at its meeting Thursday to approve a $779,350 agreement with East Norwich-based United Paving Corp. to demolish the former Chase Bank building on the northwest corner of New York Avenue and Gerard Street and then renovate the parcel.
The parking lot will be resurfaced and concrete curbs and sidewalks added, as well as a new underground drainage system, town documents said. Upgrades will include a shade structure and picnic tables, and on the southern end of the parcel, a bike rack.
The lot has 29 spots and one handicap-accessible space, Newsday previously reported. The renovated lot will have 66 parking spaces including six that are ADA accessible, according to town officials.
“We’re very happy to be at this point,” Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said. “It was a complicated process because of asbestos and drainage issues; there was a lot of mitigation that had to be taken into consideration.”
The demolition of the building also will include asbestos removal before it and its foundation are removed, according to town documents.
The town purchased the property in November 2019 for $3.05 million.
Reconstruction of the lot was expected to begin in spring 2020 but was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is set to begin in June and should take about four months to complete, town officials said.
The renovated parking lot will be joined to an existing municipal lot to the north, Smyth said. A partition between the two lots will be removed to allow for more parking spaces, Smyth said. The lot to the north also will be repaved, have three electric-vehicle charging stations installed, and configured to have 77 parking spaces, according to town officials.
Both parking lots will get new landscaping and, once open, will offer free parking, town officials said.
Jennifer Cassidy, chair of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, said the project is good news given the amount of feedback the group receives about parking issues downtown, including the perceived scarcity of parking, and the need to walk to a kiosk to pay for metered spots.
There are several free parking lots downtown. Cassidy said a free, expanded parking lot in the eastern portion of the downtown area helps.
“I’m glad to see they are making some movement in that area,” she said. “Anytime we can drive people to the village and promote commerce and have free parking, that’s a win-win.”
Dom Catoggio, president of the Huntington Business Improvement District, said the lot upgrade is an example of how those charged with addressing parking issues are working toward a solution, even if it takes some time.
“It shows that we’re not ignoring the parking issue,” he said. “That we’re looking to be creative and create more parking spaces where we can.”
After a five-year delay, Huntington officials are moving forward on a plan to bring more free parking to downtown.
The town board voted 5-0 at its meeting Thursday to approve a $779,350 agreement with East Norwich-based United Paving Corp. to demolish the former Chase Bank building on the northwest corner of New York Avenue and Gerard Street and then renovate the parcel.
The parking lot will be resurfaced and concrete curbs and sidewalks added, as well as a new underground drainage system, town documents said. Upgrades will include a shade structure and picnic tables, and on the southern end of the parcel, a bike rack.
The lot has 29 spots and one handicap-accessible space, Newsday previously reported. The renovated lot will have 66 parking spaces including six that are ADA accessible, according to town officials.
“We’re very happy to be at this point,” Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said. “It was a complicated process because of asbestos and drainage issues; there was a lot of mitigation that had to be taken into consideration.”
The demolition of the building also will include asbestos removal before it and its foundation are removed, according to town documents.
The town purchased the property in November 2019 for $3.05 million.
Reconstruction of the lot was expected to begin in spring 2020 but was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is set to begin in June and should take about four months to complete, town officials said.
The renovated parking lot will be joined to an existing municipal lot to the north, Smyth said. A partition between the two lots will be removed to allow for more parking spaces, Smyth said. The lot to the north also will be repaved, have three electric-vehicle charging stations installed, and configured to have 77 parking spaces, according to town officials.
Both parking lots will get new landscaping and, once open, will offer free parking, town officials said.
Jennifer Cassidy, chair of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, said the project is good news given the amount of feedback the group receives about parking issues downtown, including the perceived scarcity of parking, and the need to walk to a kiosk to pay for metered spots.
There are several free parking lots downtown. Cassidy said a free, expanded parking lot in the eastern portion of the downtown area helps.
“I’m glad to see they are making some movement in that area,” she said. “Anytime we can drive people to the village and promote commerce and have free parking, that’s a win-win.”
Dom Catoggio, president of the Huntington Business Improvement District, said the lot upgrade is an example of how those charged with addressing parking issues are working toward a solution, even if it takes some time.
“It shows that we’re not ignoring the parking issue,” he said. “That we’re looking to be creative and create more parking spaces where we can.”
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