The Village of Great Neck Plaza announced this week that it is near the end of an “economic revitalization project” aimed at making safety and aesthetic improvements to the business district along North Station Plaza.
The project, which was partially funded by a $522,800 state grant, includes bicycle parking facilities and new sidewalks at and around the Long Island Rail Road train station. The village paid $130,700 for the work.
“It absolutely is a very, very worthwhile project,” Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustee Gerald Schneiderman said. “It really cost the village 20 percent of what it should be. When you get 70-to 80-percent of matching funds (from the government) you’re a winner.”
Construction for the project included an area beginning at Middle Neck Road at North Station Plaza to Park Place. That area includes the train station circulation drop off and pick up area, which is located north of the building.
Improvements began with crews replacing the previous cement sidewalks with wider, more aesthetically pleasing, brick sidewalks, a Great Neck Plaza news release said.
Crews also replaced old planter boxes along North Station Plaza with new at-grade tree pits and benches, while also making upgrades to its bike racks.
The wide entrance lane opposite Broad Street was also narrowed with upgraded striping placed on the road to better indicate pedestrian crossing and vehicle arrangement.
While beautifying the area and improving infrastructure was certainly an important aspect of the project, the upgrade drastically improved pedestrian and vehicular safety, which is a good thing for residents, Schneiderman said.
“In order to get from one corner across to another you had to run something like 60 feet,” he said. “Now, it’s down to about 30. It’s much safer. We are required to maintain that lot. To have the state government pay part of that I think is fabulous.”
Under the terms of a long-term lease with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the village is allowed control of the circulation area and parking spaces.
This project certainly satisfied that agreement, Schneiderman said.
“We lease it for $1, but part of the lease is that we must maintain it,” he said. “It’s for the entire community. People from Kings Point, Saddle Rock, Kensington, Lake Success, all over the peninsula come to that train station.”
