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Light Rain New details on the Baldwin downtown revitalization project
Albanese proposal would include outdoor-style dining, public space
At a March 16 meeting of the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino revealed new details of the Albanese Development proposal that, if approved by the Hempstead town board, would transform Baldwin's business district from a blighted strip of vacant storefronts into a vibrant, walkable downtown where people would live, shop and dine.
The five-story retail/residential development, billed as a "pedestrian-friendly" downtown, would be modeled partly after Franklin Avenue in Garden City and North Park Avenue in Rockville Centre, incorporating outdoor-style dining, a 67,000-square-foot outdoor public space where residents could sit comfortably, and spaces in the sidewalk on Grand Avenue for convenient parking. Previous projects by Albanese Development — which include the Franklin Avenue strip — have featured high-end grocery stores, Starbucks coffee shops and attractive restaurants. Ideally, Santino said, the developers would create the same scene in Baldwin.
The changes in the area — Grand Avenue south of Baldwin Fire Department headquarters to Merrick Road and west to Gale Avenue — would go beyond demolishing and constructing buildings. In order for the Albanese Development proposal to work in Baldwin, Santino said, there would need to be "major traffic changes" along Grand Avenue and Merrick Road, including the installation of a traffic light on Merrick Road between Gale and Grand avenues to allow for smooth access to the site. A center median would be added to Grand Avenue to slow traffic and make the area safer for those visiting the area.
The idea, Santino explained, is that the Albanese Development project — officially named Baldwin Commons — would attract both residents and non-residents, who, in turn, would visit other nearby restaurants and shops along Merrick Road and Grand Avenue. Several restaurants have already signed on to a town-led project to refurbish storefront facades to make them more visually appealing.
"It really is designed to have a lot of pedestrian flow," Santino said. "It's designed to be something where you'll be able to make two or three stops along the way."
