Editorial: Ronkonkoma Hub deal deserves approval
An artist's rendering of the Ronkonkoma Hub, which could create a new downtown area in the town. Credit: Handout
Tuesday's Brookhaven Town Board meeting may be Mark Lesko's last as supervisor. He leaves in mid-September to run the Accelerate Long Island economic development initiative. At this meeting, he has a chance to get significant board action on a signature plan: the creation of a real downtown at the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station.
The Ronkonkoma Hub is a project of bipartisan regional significance. It would replace the down-at-the-heels collection of stores across from Nassau-Suffolk's busiest station with a mixed-use array of retail, residential and office space. Brookhaven has negotiated a master developer agreement with Tritec Real Estate for the 50 acres north of the tracks. On Tuesday, the agreement is likely to come up for a vote. The board should approve it enthusiastically.
