Business

Officials to announce grants for Woolworth project

Downtown Riverhead, East Main Street, Riverhead IDA
TIM GANNON FILE PHOTO | The former Woolworth building on East Main Street has been largely empty since the old five-and-dime chain closed in 1997.

The revitalization of the former Woolworth building in downtown Riverhead will be receiving several grants to assist in the conversion of the building into a gym, stores and affordable apartments, officials said Monday.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, state Sen. Ken LaValle, North Fork county legislator Al Krupski and Riverhead Town officials are scheduled to announce the grant at a 12:30 p.m. press conference Tuesday at the site.

“The county will provide infrastructure funding to redevelop the building,” a statement from Mr. Bellone stated Monday. The redevelopment of the building, which has been vacant since 1997, “is expected to create about 125 construction jobs and 100 retail employment opportunities.”

A group called Woolworth Revitalization LLC, headed by Michael Butler of Sag Harbor, purchased the building earlier this year and received town approvals to build a gym on the ground floor, with smaller storefronts on Main Street and 19-apartments on the upper floor of the building.

It was unclear what grants were to be announced on Tuesday.

In September, the county announced that $800,000 would be allocated toward the project, including $250,000 from the county to offset certain land and infrastructure costs. In addition, the county also said in September that 11 of the affordable units would be funded with Federal HOME Investment Partnership program funds in the amount of $550,000, and that project will receive $75,000 from the Town through the NY Main Street Program for revitalization.

Ultimate on Main, a gym that used to be located on Route 58, and Goldberg’s Famous Bagels, are already on board as tenants in the project, and the Long Island Housing Partnership is working with the developer on the affordable rentals.