Officials Break Ground On Ronkonkoma Hub Phase 2 Project

RONKONKOMA, NY — Phase Two of the $700 million state-of-the-art Ronkonkoma Hub, known as Station Square, a major mixed-use development with housing, as well as retail and office space at the Long Island Rail Road station, began with a groundbreaking on Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

The $256 million project will include 388 housing units, 73,000-square-feet of commercial space, 15,500-square-feet of office space, and over 1,200 parking spaces, according to a news release from Hochul's office. The project is supported with a $50 million capital grant from Empire State Development, as part of the Transformative Investment Program funding that was allocated to Long Island in the 2017 state budget. The entity previously provided $5 million, which was recommended by the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, to support a new sewage treatment plant and sewer infrastructure improvements.

It is anticipated that the project will be completed in late 2024.

The project, which was developed by TRITEC Real Estate, Inc., will "transform a once-blighted area into a new live-work-play destination" steps from the Long Island Rail Road station, and only minutes away from MacArthur Airport, the area's only major commercial airport, Hochul's office said.

Alston Square, a nearly-500 unit apartment community, was completed in Phase 1 of the project in March 2020.

The entire 53-acre hub will feature 1,450 residential multi-family homes, 360,000-square-feet of office space, 195,000-square-feet of retail space, and 60,000-square-feet of hospitality space, as well as three new parking facilities.

The project, which will support 10,000 construction jobs and bring 2,500 permanent jobs to the area, "complements the 2018 modernization" of the Ronkonkoma train station, which received $5.9 million in upgrades to support rider experience, including interactive digital signs and LED displays, benches with charge ports, and free customer Wi-Fi, Hochul’s office said.

Hochul called the Ronkonkoma Hub a “major leap forward in building New York's economy and revitalizing the future of Long Island.”

"This next phase of the Ronkonkoma Hub furthers our commitment to investing in transformative developments to bring residential and commercial spaces to Long Island,” she said. “New York will continue making bold, strategic investments to support redevelopment and revitalization efforts across the State."

Empire State Development Chief Operating Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner Kevin Younis said the hub builds on ESD's "commitment to transformational economic opportunities by revitalizing a blighted area to create a vibrant and active community."

"This project will generate new residential and commercial spaces, supporting thousands of construction and permanent jobs within the community, while helping to catalyze regional economic growth," he added.

TRITEC Principal Jim Coughlan said the hub has been "a community-driven effort and would not be possible without the cooperation of all levels of government."

The state's investment in "infrastructure and parking has allowed TRITEC to invest more than $425 million in Ronkonkoma in the first two construction phases," he said, adding, "We are looking forward to building Station Square and transforming Ronkonkoma into a true transit-oriented mixed-use destination that Long Island can be proud of."

State Sen. Alexis Weik said she is looking forward to Phase 2 "as it will bring business and housing to Ronkonkoma."

"It's proximity to the train station will hopefully encourage business growth for our town," she said.

Assemb. Doug Smith noted the project had been discussed at community meetings for over a decade. "I am encouraged to see this beautiful modern development replace a blighted and derelict area in the heart of my district, surrounding Long Island's busiest transit hub," he said.

"As we enter the second phase, this project has already created jobs and increased property values in our community and will continue to see hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment into Ronkonkoma," he said. "I will continue working with my partners in state and local government to make Long Island a more affordable and better place to live, work, raise a family, start a business, and retire."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said that transit-oriented developments, such as the hub, are exactly what is needed in the county "to help retain and attract young people and remain competitive as a region."

"This project continues to move full steam ahead, transforming a blighted area into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly hub that will serve as a 21st century model for the type of economic development projects that we need to continue to grow our economy in a sustainable way," he said.

Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine said the town has worked with the master developer of the hub to make it a transformative project by its proximity to the train station, MacArthur Airport, and the Long Island Expressway.

"It's the ideal location for people to live especially if they commute to work by rail," he said. "It also serves as a great example of revitalization for other communities to follow. Once complete, it will vastly improve the quality of life for people who live and work in and around the area and generate substantial economic growth for the region."

Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said Phase Two of the hub is "another step forward in the transformation of this underutilized area into a vibrant, walkable, and environmentally conscious destination to live, work, and shop."