Long Island Science Center urges Riverhead to drop eminent domain plan

Leaders of the Long Island Science Center are urging Riverhead officials to drop efforts to seize their planned future headquarters, arguing they have the resources to open and play a key role in the Town Square revitalization project.

Officials from the nonprofit science museum made their case at a town meeting on Thursday, arguing they have the funding to redevelop the Main Street property and play a pivotal role in the project.

Riverhead has already taken steps to seize the property, arguing the space is a key part of the planned Town Square development. The town board will hold a hearing on May 21 to condemn the building as "not safe or habitable" and a flood risk, according to town documents.

The town also plans to seize by eminent domain a bar on Main Street, Craft’D, and convey the property to a private developer to build a hotel there.

The nonprofit science center bought the vacant building — a former Swezey's Department Store — in 2020. It currently operates a pop-up in Tanger Outlets. Initially, the center planned a $15 million facility with a rooftop deck overlooking the Peconic River.

“It’s really not a heavy lift to take the building as it is, repurpose it and then deal with the flood issues with flood barriers in phase one, and then a more comprehensive strategy for phase two,” said Jordan Rogove, co-founder of DXA Studio, a Manhattan-based architecture firm working for the science center.

Operators of the science center say it can open by Aug. 1. Developers would then start work on a second phase — adding a planetarium and rooftop greenhouse.

Town officials have questioned whether the science center can afford to develop the site and expressed skepticism about the plans during Thursday’s meeting.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard said Thursday there’s “no better place” for the science center than in the Town Square, but he wants assurances the museum can open and renovate the building.

In an interview on Friday, Hubbard said the town could halt eminent domain proceedings if the science center makes a strong enough case.

“We can pull the plug on that … if what they’re showing us can be a viable development,” he said.

Rogove said the first phase, estimated at $1 million, will quickly get the science center operational with a functional space that can be expanded.

It will include new exterior cladding, storefront improvements, signage, flood barriers and preparing the main level for exhibition space.

Chris Kempner, a member of the science center’s business advisory committee, said exhibits from Tanger could be easily moved to the new site. The center has $1.8 million in grant funding to finish the first phase.

“We could expand and also host more classroom space, so immediately we could activate the building,” she said.

The nonprofit would continue fundraising to finish phase two, which would relocate the main entrance to face Town Square, Kempner said.

The science center did not provide cost estimates or a timeline for phase two, but Kempner and Rogove said it would total less than an earlier projection of $15 million.

Town officials asked whether the science center could build an entryway on the east side of the building in phase one, rather than phase two, to better connect to the public square.

In phase one, the entrance to the science center is facing Main Street. Town officials said they worried construction on a second entrance on the square could be disruptive if left to phase two. 

“What guarantee do we have that you will actually go into phase two and that we’re not going to get stuck looking at just a concrete wall?” Councilwoman Joann Waski asked.

Officials from the science center say they are receptive to building entrances to the square earlier in the process.