Could Brookhaven Rail Terminal help LI grow?

The Brookhaven Rail Terminal’s potential to be an engine for regional growth will be the topic of a panel discussion on Monday, hosted by the Long Island Business Development Council.

The event will take place at the Courtyard Marriott in Ronkonkoma. Cocktail hour begins at noon, followed by lunch and the panel discussion. The luncheon is sponsored by the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency and Brookhaven Rail Terminal.

The panelists will include Mark Lesko, supervisor of the Town of Brookhaven, Jim Newell, chief operating officer of the Brookhaven Rail Terminal, and Daniel Falcone, wholesale manager of Ultra Green Energy Services. The moderator will be Jim Morgo, president of Morgo Private Public Strategies, who recently stepped down as chairman of the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency.

The 28-acre rail depot, off Exit 66 --  Patchogue-Yaphank  Road --  of the Long Island Expressway, opened last year. The $40 million facility is expected to ship and receive hundreds of thousands of tons of construction material and commodities annually, and local officials anticipate further expansion by 2016.

Admission to the event is $80 for those who are not members of the council, $75 for Silver members and free for corporate or Gold members. For reservations, email Deana Michielini at dmichielini601@yahoo.com.