Island Park's Long Beach Motor Inn to transform into sanctuary for disabled veterans in 2026

After more than a decade of neglect, Island Park’s Long Beach Motor Inn is set to undergo a transformation, becoming a sanctuary for disabled veterans and first responders.

Nassau County has donated the property at 3915 Austin Blvd in Island Park, a former motel, to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to build new housing for homeless veterans.

“Helping neighbors in need who served our nation in the armed forces should always remain a priority at all levels of government, and this veterans housing project will go a long way towards ensuring that nobody who wore America’s uniform into battle is forced to sleep on the streets,” said Congressman Anthony D’Esposito in a statement.

Tunnel to Towers will tear down the existing structure and build a new 42-unit apartment complex. The new facility, to be completed in 2026, will offer more than just housing. It will feature on-site support services for Veteran residents, including job training, benefits assistance, education assistance, financial budget management, legal advocacy, medical care access, mental health support and PTSD counseling plus addiction treatment.

The project was announced Monday at a news conference led by County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Mineola. The partnership with Nassau County, local officials, and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, is a beacon of hope for Island Park, which has long grappled with the vacant property’s troubled history.

“For many years that building was a source of problems for the community,” Blakeman said. “There was allegations of drug dealing going on there, prostitution and it got very run down, especially after Superstorm Sandy.”

The Long Beach Motor Inn, which had been closed since Superstorm Sandy ravaged the region in 2012, had long been a source of frustration for Island Park residents. The property fell into disrepair and, over the years, gained a reputation for being a hotspot for illicit activity.

“That building has been vacant for the last 10 years, since Superstorm Sandy and just sat as an eyesore and in no way reflected the community that it was that was around it,” said County Legislator Pat Mullaney. “This Veterans Village is going to be a perfect representation of the pride and patriotism that Island Park has and the surrounding communities.”

For more than a decade, discussions about how to redevelop the space dragged on. Various proposals came and went, but none seemed to strike the right balance between addressing the community’s needs and creating something meaningful.

“It’s taken a very, very long time,” said Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty. “The county could have sold it and developed it, but there would have been no social justice there, no social benefit. By waiting and finding the right partnerships, here we are.”

The key to finally moving forward, according to Bruce Blakeman, was finding the right partnership and purpose. That’s where Tunnel to Towers came in, with a vision to turn the blighted site into a haven for veterans and first responders—a solution that addressed both the physical condition of the property and the social responsibility to care for those who’ve given so much for their communities and country.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a renowned non-profit dedicated to providing housing and support for veterans, first responders, and their families. The foundation, led by Chairman and CEO Frank Siller, has been pivotal in turning the derelict space into something beneficial for the community.

“When we first started the foundation, we had no idea that we’d be doing the work that we do today,” Siller said at the news conference.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has become a national symbol of resilience and support for those who serve. Founded in memory of firefighter Stephen Siller, who lost his life on September 11, 2001, the organization has expanded its mission to help military and first responder families in need. The foundation’s work includes building mortgage-free homes for injured veterans, providing support to the families of fallen heroes, and ensuring that the sacrifices of these individuals are honored and remembered.

“We’re exceptionally proud to be working with this wonderful group of legislators and the county executive who had the foresight and initiative to get this done for us,” said Matthew Mahoney, executive vice president of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

In Island Park, the foundation’s involvement is seen as a turning point for the community. What was once a symbol of blight is now poised to become a place of healing and hope.

“They’re taking a taking a troubled, problematic situation, and turning it into a positive,” said Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty. “Tunnel to Towers are saints. Our disabled veterans and our disabled first responders will have someplace to go. This is what we ought to be doing.”