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Long Island Science Center headed back to Riverhead, at least temporarily

The Long Island Science Center, which left Riverhead in late 2016 for Rocky Point, is coming home, according to Larry Oxman, a member of the Center’s board of trustees.

The LISC will move into the recently vacated space held by BNB Bank on the ground floor of the Summerwind Square apartments.

The lease in Summerwind has been signed but is only a temporary one until they can find permanent space, Mr. Oxman said. The recently vacated space of the former Joe’s Garage would not be included in the science center’s plan.

The nonprofit science center, which had been located at 11 W. Main St. in downtown Riverhead since the ’90s, announced plans in 2013 to move out of that location in order to sell the building to Conifer Realty, which is building a 45-unit, mixed-use apartment complex.

It had planned to move to another location in downtown Riverhead, but was unable to, and ultimately moved to 21 North Country Road in Rocky Point.

“Our lease was up in Rocky Point and we’re really looking to acquire a piece of property,” Mr. Oxman said.

He said they are not limiting their search to downtown Riverhead.

“We haven’t ruled out anything,” he said. “It could be downtown Riverhead, it could be somewhere else.”

He said they are also “in the process of redesigning everything … it will be very different.”

The LISC teaches kids in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and has taught 325,000 students over the years, according to its website.

Photo caption: The Long Island Science Center will move into the former BNB Bank space in downtown Riverhead. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

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