Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that New York State will provide $150 million to Suffolk County for the infrastructure to connect the Long Island Rail Road Ronkonkoma station with a proposed north terminal at Long Island MacArthur Airport.
“This is how you make quality of life for Long Islanders, save time for them and build connections for our visitors as well,” Hochul said at the airport.
“By improving transit access, redesigning road networks, and enhancing critical infrastructure, we are unlocking new opportunities for businesses, tourism, and economic development,” she said. “This $150 million investment will also create good-paying union jobs while transforming how Long Islanders connect to one another, to New York and to the rest of the world.”
The project would include a pedestrian walkway linking the airport and LIRR station, redesigned road networks and upgrades to various infrastructure.
The investment follows a Jan. 22 announcement that Suffolk terminated a master development agreement with JLL that would have created to create Midway Crossing, a massive mixed-use development between the LIRR station and MacArthur Airport. At the time, county officials said they terminated the agreement because of the Chicago-based company’s lack of progress on the project.
The county is looking for new developers, and will be issuing a request for new developers in the near future, according to a county spokesman.
The proposed development would require as much as $1 billion in public funding for building infrastructure and public assets, including water, sewer, utilities and roads, as well as a convention center and airport terminal. The failure of the master developer to garner the necessary public funding was one of the main reasons for the delay and ultimate termination, observers said.
The county said it would give as much as $50 million toward the project as it was proposed initially.
A new developer could propose a scaled-down version that would not require as much public investment, people familiar with project said.
While lauding Hochul for the desire to invest in the transportation hub, some expressed puzzlement over when or where this pedestrian corridor could be built, as plans for a north terminal remain stalled. One observer suggested that only when “Midway Crossing II” is in the ground would the future connection between the LIRR and the airport have any clarity and the dollars to match.
Still, on Wednesday, local leaders seemed encouraged about the newly announced investment.
“Gov. Hochul has again shown her willingness to work together to spur economic development through infrastructure investment. This commitment benefits all of Suffolk County and we look forward to the next steps,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine told LIBN.
Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a news release that the investment helps establish “the foundation for long-term economic growth, bringing in high-quality jobs, and creating new opportunities for our young professionals to live and work right here in our community. We are also leveraging the investments made in our transportation infrastructure, including the enhancements to the LIRR and the future potential of Amtrak service. With mixed-use residential development north of the Ronkonkoma railroad, we have a unique opportunity to create a thriving, connected transportation hub that supports our workforce and strengthens our economy.”
The project could open up 48 acres of land surrounding the station, to further development and tourism, according to the state.