EPCAL property in Calverton needs a forward push

Consider for a moment the vast property known as EPCAL.

Enterprise Park at Calverton sits on thousands of acres once owned by the federal government and used by Grumman Corp. for military aircraft manufacturing and testing.

After Grumman closed, the federal government transferred the land to Riverhead in 1998 with one condition, according to the town Industrial Development Agency's description: The land had to be used "for economic development to replace thousands of well-paid jobs and tax base lost by the Grumman closure."

But more than two decades later most of this enormous tract, which should be home to new industries and economic activity rippling through the Island, remains empty. Numerous plans have been pitched. A few projects are either finished or in progress, including a Stony Brook University food business incubator, an addiction treatment and research center, and a water park that recently received final site plan approval.

Beyond that, uncertainty remains.

Now, Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar is trying a new tactic. Her effort involves transferring more than 1,600 acres to the town IDA. That could just end up rearranging the chess pieces without getting a win. But if the town, IDA, private developers, and Suffolk County and New York State officials all prioritize EPCAL's future, progress is possible.

That won't be easy — and it won't happen quickly. The venture group Calverton Aviation and Technology (CAT), a combination of majority partner Triple Five and minority partner Luminati, is working on its IDA application, which will include detailed information regarding its plans, financial wherewithal, and desire for tax incentives. If all goes well, about 1,000 acres would be set aside for habitat preservation. On the rest — more than 600 acres — CAT hopes to build a tech hub that could bring research and development, innovation, and manufacturing and, possibly, a rail connection to nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory.

But as with so much Long Island economic development, big ideas create big challenges. Town officials hope the IDA analysis can answer questions about whether CAT has the financial backbone to support its proposal. That's a critical step. 

Then there's the issue of water. A long-simmering debate between the Suffolk County Water Authority, the Riverhead Water District, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation over who can and should supply water to the Calverton property has been fraught with blaming and finger-pointing. These entities must find common ground and come to an agreement while the IDA process continues.

None of this is simple. But if everything goes right, those affiliated with CAT say they're "making every effort" to break ground in June 2023. Then the enormous potential of one of Long Island's most regionally significant industrial sites might just be realized.