Housing redevelopment slated for East Patchogue

It’s time for East Patchogue’s overlay district, which will likely see redevelop- ment between Route 112 and Washing- ton Avenue/Conklin Avenue as soon as this fall. According to councilman Neil Foley, the town has an application in from G4 and another possible application from Rechler.

Both applications will include mar- ket-value apartments. G4’s proposal is for the old demolished theatre lot located next to New York Cancer and Blood and will include a two-story building with a proposed beautification park in the front. The Rechler proposal is slated for the current Mediterranean Manor and 293 East Main Street, which has been vacant and boarded since a fire in 2019. The Rechler site, Foley explained, is for a three-story Grey Barn; though no formal plan has been submitted, the developer is in discussion with the planning commissioner.

The owner of 293 East Main Street in East Patchogue and Mediterranean Manor, Evan Abazis spoke briefly on the proposed project anticipating the revitalization of the area. The Manor has been a staple of the community for over 57 years and though it is still currently open with limited capacity it, he hinted at future endeavors for the business after it’s closing in that specific location. Though he has been anticipating selling the buildings for sometime, he said, closing for over a year and a half due to the pandemic “didn’t help.”

“There were so many factors and different circumstances that fell into place that made it way beyond my ability to correct or control,” he said of repairing or demolishing the abandoned building. “The buildings are being left a result in anticipating better things, the best is truly yet to come.”

As for the future development, he said it has been a process he has been antici- pating for years.
“It takes a tremendous amount of time,” he added. “I am motivated and knew this day would come. The rede- velopment of our community will lift a lot of morale and is going to change the entire demographics of that community for the better. It is going to set a prec- edent for future developers to come in and break ground.”

Across the street neighboring the Salvation Army, there is also another proposal from a company called NRP, Foley said, for a mixed-use retail and apartments building.

“Those are the three main redevelopment projects,” Foley said. “The main cogs we have been looking at since Day One.”

The local Focus East Patchogue civic group is also behind the redevelopments. Civic president John Quatrale said the proposed projects fall in line with the overlay and East Patchogue corridor study completed by the county last year.

“We are absolutely behind the plan
100 percent,” he said. “We hope this will [attract] other projects which are consis- tent with the overlay and corridor study. We are thrilled to be moving forward and for whatever else might come.”

In addition to the redevelopments, Quatrale also made note of hopes to see the former car dealership, located next to the Swan Lake Preserve, finally see finishing touches.

The small slice of land, formerly home to Famiglia Motors and Taillight Motors prior to that, located at 550 East Main Street in East Patchogue, was acquired for open space in 2019.

The county, according to Suffolk County Legislature presiding officer Rob Calarco, was interested in that lot for preservation since requesting to purchase it back in 2012. At that time, the property owner was not interested and declined an appraisal. But since Famiglia Motors vacated the property in summer 2018, Calarco reapproached the owner, who was then willing to sell. Foley said the town would be making the lot part of the preserve as part of the 2022 budget with the potential to add an attraction like a gazebo.

“We need something that will fit in the area without creating additional issues,” he said. “We have been working on this [overall] plan for the last couple of years. I am excited to see the Eastern part of Patchogue become redeveloped and experience some of the revitalization of the area.”