Family Fun Draws Crowds to Nautical Festival
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T Family fun draws crowds to Nautical Festival Overcast skies failed to dampen .was closed to vehicular traffic to the spirits of the crowd visiting accommodate the people visiting the recent Nautical Festival held the' various booths and outdoor JUNE, 2001 www.FreeportNY.com THE HOME OF CHAMPIONS on Freeport's revitalized Woodcleft cafes. A carnival complete with tra- Ave. There were games, clowns, ditional attractions including a Ferris pony rides, and family attractions wheel, was sponsored by the Village accepts proposal from Time Equities, Inc. all along the Nautical Mile, which Freeport Rotary Club. for Plaza West Site Michael Casanova and Anthony Cussimono sat in the driver's seat of Jumbo', the Freeport Fire Department's antique pumper, which was on display at the Festival thanks to the assistance of Arthur Grempel and Charles Ricciardelli. On hand to cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony for the Nautical Festival was Glen Cove City Mayor Tom Suozzi, Legislator David Denenberg, Assemblywoman Kate Murray, Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Donald Gavin, Town Councihvoman Angle Cullin, Mayor Bill Glacken, Vice Chairman of the Freeport Zoning Board Jorge Martinez, Comptroller Fred Parola, Trustee Don Miller and Joel and Jonathan Femin posed with two of their favorite cartoon characters, Cassandra Goosby representing her mother, Hempstead Councihvoman Dorothy Goosby. • Cookie Monster and Angelica. Francis Greenberger and Mayor Bill Glacken in front of the former Meadowbrook Bank Building, the site of the proposed 'Atelier at Plaza West'. Freeport Mayor Bill Glacken announced with convenient underground parking, is an attract business and professional tenants. The the New York City-based firm, Time Equities, innovative concept in downtown revitaliza- proposal includes a covered walkway to the Inc., won the approval of the Board of tion. We expect this project will serve as a nearby Long Island railroad station and local Trustees for its proposal to build The Atelier model for other communities on Long Island bus depot. at Plaza West' on Sunrise Highway and North and throughout New York State, which are TEI estimates the construction cost will Grove Street. The real estate firm competed involved in restoring their central business be $36.8 million with a purchase price of $2.1 against three other companies in the village's districts," said Mayor Glacken. million to acquire the property from the most recent request for proposals to develop The Mayor met recently with Francis Freeport Community Development Agency. the property. Time Equities, Inc. (TEI) won the Greenberger, Chairman and CEO of TEI to dis- This is the second major project planned unanimous support of the Board- appointed cuss details of the plan. The luxury apartment between Freeport and TEI. The village recent- task force. The plan includes the restoration complex will adjoin the existing bank build- ly signed a $3 million contract with TEI for the of the former Meadowbrook Bank Building. ing and will include a landscaped recreation- construction of the 'Main Street Mews', a "This proposal, which calls for creating a al deck, a health clukwith a pool and access three-story structure to be built on vacant OZSU AN ' live/work environment in a village/small town to a central courtyard. The renovation plans land located on Main St. between Sunrise aivd 035LI AN setting with the construction of 200 luxury for the bank building provide space for a Highway and Merrick Road. 8PU8AV UB93O 'ON 917 rental units on five stories situated above a restaurant on the first floor and mezzanine >)|ng two-story base of street level retail space level with the four upper levels designed to Freeport's 'Adopt-a-Cop' program celebrates of our downtown commercial area. The and reinvested in their property, and new with norses and a helicopter demonstration Mews project is expected to break ground by entrepreneurs are coming to Freeport every The "adopted" police officers and mentary school classes with local police offi- Mayor Bill Glacken attended the event early Fall of 2001. day. approximately 500 youngsters from Freeport's cers in an effort to build a positive bond and commended Freeport Police Chief Michael We are currently in the preliminary con- The same positive reaction we have seen Bayview Ave., Archer and Giblyn schools cele- between the children and the cops. Woodward on the innovative program, struction phase of the extension of the Hook on our waterfront is occurring in our central brated the seventh year of the program with a This year the annual celebration included adding, "The Freeport Police Department's and Ladder No. 1 firehouse on Church Street. business district. The construction of the party held at Freeport's Recreation Center. a demonstration by a Nassau County mounted Adopt-a-Cop program has had an excellent The expansion of this station house, to Main Street Mews, on the west side of South The village's police department is noted police officer who explained to the youngsters impact on our children, providing them with accommodate larger, state-of-the-art fire Main Street between Sunrise Highway and nationwide for the success of its Adopt-A-Cop how the horses are used to handle crowds. police officers as mentors and role models." apparatus, is part of the overall downtown Merrick Road, will feature a three-story program, which began in Freeport, and has The children also had a chance to see a county The program began at the Bayview Ave. rehabilitation plan, which included the building with a restaurant/retail use on the been copied by other police departments helicopter, which is used to airlift accident vic- school and is now active in the Archer St. and facade improvements to storefronts along ground floor and professional office and/or around the country. The program matches ele- tims to medical help in emergencies. Giblyn schools. Church Street and Merrick Road. The first artists' live/work space on the second and phase of this revitalization project was com- third floors. pleted last winter with the installation .of The two TEI construction projects will I'm pleased to announce that we have new windows, doors, and storefronts creat- serve as catalysts for further revitalization of Die youngsters hod plenty of ing a major facelift for the businesses locat- our central "business "district." Future plans entered" into negotiations' with Tinie questions for Equities, Inc., the real estate firm which sub- ed in the center of our commercial business include the construction of a moderate size the Nossou County mitted the winning proposal for the Plaza district. The renovations also involved the movie theater featuring four to six screens mounted West site. The plan outlined by TEI, known as elimination of the exterior security gates and and the continuation of our facade improve- the 'Atelier at Plaza West,' calls for the the addition of 1920's style streetlights, a ment project. restoration and rehabilitation of the land- further continuation of the classic "Main I grew up in Freeport, and I remember mark bank building as well as the innovative Street" theme begun along Woodcleft Ave. our downtown business district as a thriving Officer Gene Holl kneels in front of his bike surrounded by fourth grade youngsters development of the adjacent property as With these projects, Freeport has commercial area. Our village has always from the Giblyn school. Pictured with the youngsters are their teacher Robin Goelz, Michael Carroll, representing State Senator Charles Fuschillo, Hempstead Town both residential and retail space. We expect entered a new era in revitalization. We have been the best place to live, offering a cultur- Nassau County Countirwomon Angle Cullin, Mayor Bill Glacken, Nassau Assistant District Attorney progressed from the renovation of our ally diverse population in a waterfront com- air rescue to begin construction on this site by the Fall Patricia Wright and Freeport Police Chief Michael Woodward. of 2002. waterfront area to the reconstruction of our munity readily accessible to New York City. helicopter with This is the second major project central business district. Success, similar to Soon another generation will know our vil- school between Freeport and TEI. We recently blight, is like an epidemic: it breeds on itself. lage the same way. children. signed a $3 million contract with the real Since we began the restoration of Woodcleft estate firm for the construction of the Main Ave., the progress on the 'Nautical Mile' has Street Mews, an innovative structure to be taken on a life of its own. Today, many of the located on the vacant property in the center businesses and merchants have improved Freeport Honors South Shore Healthcare Center its Heroes Holds Health and Fitness Fair ^Ground Breaking Takes Place for Major Extension to The Freeport Police Department's recent awards ceremony at the Coral House provided the opportunity for Mayor Bill Glacken and Hook and Ladder No. 1 Trustees Don Miller and Bill White, Jr., to personally thank the officers for their individual acts of bravery in the line of duty. Modern firefighting equipment has Among those singled out for Meritorious Awards were expanded and enlarged over the past Detectives Zina Leftenant and Bienvenido Andujar for their investiga- tion of several high profile cases which ultimately resulted in arrests. twenty years, and Freeport's Church Street firehouse is expanding to accommodate the larger, modern trucks. The extension is being coordinated with the overall down-