Newsday
Developer downsizes plans for downtown Riverhead
The planned redevelopment of downtown Riverhead took a dramatic new turn yesterday, as officials from Apollo Real Estate Advisors -- the firm doing the $120 million facelift -- told the town board it is cutting ...
Comments
|
The prostitutes, drug dealers, gang bangers, wannabe gangsters, illegal immigrants and the other "lost souls" that populate the environs of downtown Riverhead spell trouble for Supervisor Phil Cardinale's ill-conceived now shrinking white-elephant project. The reporter Friedman fails to answer the basic journalistic question of the story: Why is the scope of "project Apollo" being scaled back by nearly half less than two years after it was proposed? Why is the demolition of the downtown area being placed on a "fast track" while a recession looms? Is it not likely that the funds and the will necessary to rebuild the razed downtown will evaporate as the economy lags and the ruins of the commercial district bring out more of the criminal underclass? Perhaps Phil can find them "good paying jobs" handing out ski-lift tickets at his indoor 30 story snow mountain. If not there than at one of the box stores popping up like mushrooms on Route 58 where the sign proclaims "Welcome to Riverhead."
|
|
|
Perhaps Phil can find them "good paying jobs" handing out ski-lift tickets at his indoor 30 story snow mountain.
Probably only be able to be able to give them jobs counting owls if the DEC has anything to say about it |
|
|
Here we go again. Shades of New London, Ct. P.S. There goes the hood.
|
|
|
Judged: 
1 
1 
1 But black people don't like the snow or being cold. So much for a job at the ski lift. Maybe they should just build a pool at the Calverton site so that the 58% of blacks that don't know how to swim, can learn how to swim. |
|
|
AOL
|
The snow in the 35 story indoor mountain is melting. What's Phil going to do when Resorts pulls out completly? The Plan is not coming together. Take your buddy Paley and leave town.
|
Since you have such insite about black people,you must certainly be black yourself. |
|
|
Judged: 
1
1
1 |
|
|
AOL
|
Judged: 
1 
1 |
|
I am baffled by the responses posted on this Newsday Site.
I attended yesterdays meeting, and I was thrilled to hear that the long "Log Jamb" preceding construction is almost over, and Apollo is ready to file for Site Plan Approval next Month on their first Building!!!!! They also unveiled Phase II and Phase III on the South Side of Main Street (Which Newsday showed Images of, but did not discuss??). Every comment I am reading about is Negative, and is either referencing EPCAL-Calverton or some racially negative remarks. Well all I can say is, reality is here, Downtown Riverhead is getting a 4-5 Star Hotel, Movies, Quality Retail (Restaurants, Cafes, Boutiques, Destination Stores, ETC.)and Hi-End Residential. Does anybody care that it’s finally happening!!! I for one have followed this process since its beginning, and applaud EVERYONES efforts to get it this far. It surely was not easy, and it just really beginning. Good Luck to all involved! |
|
|
Judged: 
1
1
1 FYI Michael Mannetta is a principal owner of the Spector Group, the apt named contractor for the "Apollo Project," paid millions of tax payer dollars to re-design downtown Riverhead. "Good Luck to all involved!" indeed. |
|
|
I'll believe it when I see it...
|
|
|
I hope it doesn't ruin the current local charactor of the area. I hope that when this is all complete, I'll still see people drinking beers out of **** bags and enjoy the sweet smell of urine when walking past the future alleyways.......
|
|
|
Judged:
1
1
1 Most people I know, both as a design professional and as a local resident, have no problems with the project's program. A hotel is great. Botiques, restaurants, housing. Wonderful. 1980's Disneyworld-esque Architecure- No Thanks. I have a master's degree in architecture and a bachelor's degree in architectural history, so all the towers and other so called "historical elements" that you slap on your buildings certainly aren't fooling me into believing your claims of fitting into the context of the East End. Hempstead or Westbury perhaps, very often Florida, but nothing I have seen from the architects thus far even comes close to respecting the context of the East End. What really is a problem is the banal, cookie-cutter developer-driven architecture that does little to reflect the unique and historical architecture that existed, and to some degree still exists under layers of bad 1960's architecture. One of the reasons the downtown has failed is because the smaller scale stores were replaced with the precursors to the big-box retailers in the 1960's in order to "modernize". When downtown shopping districts went out of vogue with retailers, these large stores became vacant - and were too large to rent out to smaller businesses. When you look at downtown areas such as Port Jefferson, Greenport, Southampton, Bridgehampton, the buildings respond to a more human scale. Blocks are broken up into smaller pieces, with buildings of varying heights, materials, and styles composing the organic urban fabric. This is how successful downtowns are built. Building an extrusion of a zoning diagram and putting some colonial touches on it is not responsible urban planning. The revitalization project should not be one homogeneous building, but rather a series of smaller buildings that are of a more human scale. This will erase the 1960's urban renewal harm that was done and replace it with buidings that are more appropriate in terms of use, scale and material - rather than just put 4 stories of condos over the same overscaled, monotonous architecture that killed main street. Variety breeds life, but this proposal seems to just be giving us the same thing that unimaginative, or perhaps lazy, developers are giving other communities across the country. Sprawl. Just because you slap a faux victorian tower on a 5 story 1000 foot long box doesn't mean you are developing a quality architectural solution that respects the context. In terms of the way this project has been favored in the press, Your pr person should be promoted, but your design staff should be sent back to school for remedial classes. Design is not a collage of program with elements like balconies and towers slapped onto it to make it appealing to the residents. You should truly be ashamed of yourselves. |
|
|
Judged:
1
1
1 I have a master's degree in architecture and a bachelor's degree in architectural history, so all the towers and other so called "historical elements" that you slap on your buildings certainly aren't fooling me into believing your claims of fitting into the context of the East End. Hempstead or Westbury perhaps, very often Florida, but nothing I have seen from the architects thus far even comes close to respecting the context of the East End. What really is a problem is the banal, cookie-cutter developer-driven architecture that does little to reflect the unique and historical architecture that existed, and to some degree still exists under layers of bad 1960's architecture. One of the reasons the downtown has failed is because the smaller scale stores were replaced with the precursors to the big-box retailers in the 1960's in order to "modernize". When downtown shopping districts went out of vogue with retailers, these large stores became vacant - and were too large to rent out to smaller businesses. When you look at downtown areas such as Port Jefferson, Greenport, Southampton, Bridgehampton, the buildings respond to a more human scale. Blocks are broken up into smaller pieces, with buildings of varying heights, materials, and styles composing the organic urban fabric. This is how successful downtowns are built. Building an extrusion of a zoning diagram and putting some colonial touches on it is not responsible urban planning. The revitalization project should not be one homogeneous building, but rather a series of smaller buildings that are of a more human scale. This will erase the 1960's urban renewal harm that was done and replace it with buidings that are more appropriate in terms of use, scale and material - rather than just put 4 stories of condos over the same overscaled, monotonous architecture that killed main street. Variety breeds life, but this proposal seems to just be giving us the same thing that unimaginative, or perhaps lazy, developers are giving other communities across the country. Sprawl. Just because you slap a faux victorian tower on a 5 story 1000 foot long box doesn't mean you are developing a quality architectural solution that respects the context. In terms of the way this project has been favored in the press, Your pr person should be promoted, but your design staff should be sent back to school for remedial classes. Design is not a collage of program with elements like balconies and towers slapped onto it to make it appealing to the residents. You should truly be ashamed of yourselves. |
|
|
Judged:
1 |
|
|
slowing
|
|
I agree. |
|
To try and answer properly the two individuals who seemed to find my thoughts problematic and upsetting would require engaging in an ongoing debate of irrational proportion. But I would like to set some things straight for the Record. Yes, I unlike others have stated my Name, without using a pseudonym to mask who I am, and what are my goals. Anyone who knows The Downtown Redevelopment Project knows that I am a Senior Partner with the Spectorgroup Architects, and have been involved in this project since inception. What I find really hard to believe are the statements of ABSOLOUTE MISTRUTHS that fill these comments, such as we have been "paid millions of tax payer dollars to re-design downtown Riverhead". This project is a privately funded Endeavour by Apollo Real Estate Development Corp (ZERO TAX PAYER DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT) And although the source of the dollars is totally inaccurate, the assumed volume of fees paid in a Speculative Venture is beyond imaginative in the world of today. Also as far as the Master Planning and Design Debate, I think another Forum which could be civilized and moderated by a moderator would be more appropriate, also keeping in mind the Developers financial abilities and vision for their investments with that of the community. I wish I could answer every misinterpreted accusation, but I have to work for a living..........and I do again wish the "Best of Luck to all" involved in rejuvenating The Town of Riverhead to a place of Pride, Character and Sensitivity.....That “mostly ALL” Long Islanders and the Citizens of Riverhead will be proud of. |
|
|
Joined: Apr 8, 2008
Comments: 187
|
Judged:
1
1
1 please stop with the rejuventation of the town of riverhead rhetoric youre basically in it for the money plain and simple please refrain from stating anything contrary to that |
I'm truly sorry you feel that way, but as an American, I also have the same rights as you in expressing my opinion.......under the same flag you so proudly wave (attached to your comments). PS.........I and my entire Family have lived on the North Fork of Long Island since before I was born. ......and "nothing is plain and simple" in this life, except possibly ignorance. By the way, I have a NAME(although you seem to not be able to spell it correctly), what's yours? |
Judge it!Please note by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.
