Enrichment center prepares for new home

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

The Town of Huntington is kicking off renovations this month to turn a blighted Huntington Station property into the new home for its community enrichment center.

The New York Avenue-based parcel, which has been unoccupied for the last year, was sold earlier this year to the Huntington Community Development Agency (HCDA). Last week, the Huntington Town Board approved nearly $430,000 in construction money to install a new façade, roof, windows and rugs at the site, as part of a revitalization effort.

"Right now, we’re in the process of obtaining building permits," said Douglas Aloise, director for the Huntington Community Development Agency. "If everything goes well, we expect to wrap up renovations on the enrichment center by the end of December."

The transaction occurred after the enrichment center was unable to pay rent on its prior property, which was located behind the Big H Shopping Center on New York Avenue. Instead of evicting the organization, Don Pius, the center’s landlord and member of its board of directors, proposed selling the HCDA a property at nearby 1264-1266 New York Avenue for $100,000, which is significantly less than the appraised value of $1.4 million.

He also absolved all past due rent that the enrichment center owed.

"We had run out of ideas about how to keep the center going when Pius stepped in," said Dee Thompson, executive director of the Huntington Station Enrichment Center who is pictured above with Pius. "He told us our work was important and that he wanted to help us. Then he made it happen."

Thompson, incidentally, admitted the center’s prior property was "less than ideal," since it was hard to find for students visiting for homework help and after-school activities.

"We were more like the hidden Boys & Girls Club before," joked Thompson.

As part of the renovated center, Pius also plans to implement a $40,000 scholarship fund for graduates in the Huntington School District. Specifically, money for the scholarships will come from rental income generated by apartments above the new enrichment center.

"Everyone can’t be top students, but we should all be able to go to college if we want," said Pius. "I’m glad that I can help deserving students who need a financial leg up."

A second phase of the revitalization project includes a new business incubator at 1268 New York Avenue, which will help to foster and launch local small businesses. Those renovations will begin soon after the enrichment center is completed and the town will eventually seek a nonprofit organization to run the facility, according to Aloise.

The company handling the renovation project is Lipsky Enterprises in Bayport. The project’s architect, Melville-based H2M Group, is working pro bono, Aloise said.