Riverhead BIDMA assembles new board ahead of first ‘Alive on 25’ of 2024
The Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association BIDMA elected new board members in a special meeting June 27, after two prior votes ended in ties.
The 13-member BID board has 10 elected members, comprising five property owners and five tenants from within the district, which extends east-west from the police station to the library and north-south from the train station to the Peconic River. Three additional members are appointed, one by the town supervisor, one by the Town Board and one by the town’s chief financial officer.
BIDMA’s newly elected members are Alberto Lenghi of The Preston House and Hotel, Jason Breitstone of Hildreth Real Estate Advisors, Gary Hygom of Suffolk Theater, Amanda Capobianco of Richmond Realty, Lisa Pickersgill of Robert James Salon, Sean Kenna of Cucina 25 and Craftd, Steven Amaral of North Fork Chocolate Company, Larry Oxman of East End Commercial Real Estate, Linda Lombardi of M&T Bank and Mark McLaughlin of Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio’s office.
Michael Butler, who restored the Woolworth Apartments, was appointed by Supervisor Tim Hubbard, and Kathleen Ruscick was appointed to the vacant resident position. One seat remains vacant.
The positions of BIDMA president, vice present, secretary and treasurer will be chosen from among the new members at the BID’s July 17 meeting.
Currently, Mr. Kenna is president and Ms. Pickersgill is vice president.
The BID was established in 1991 as a way to finance supplemental services and programs beyond those the local government provides and is a special taxing district paid by residents within the BID. It aims to improve business for merchants by generating additional foot traffic and drawing more customers to the historic downtown area.
The BID’s first big public event of this season will be the Alive on 25 summer street festival on Friday, July 5, in conjunction with a fireworks show. This has traditionally been the biggest BID event of the year.
The BID is doing only two Alive on 25 events this year: Friday, and a Laser Light show Aug. 9.
