New parking lot in Port Washington business district to be unveiled on Friday

North Hempstead officials on Friday will unveil a new parking lot in Port Washington, replacing a structure that was long dilapidated and recently demolished.

Twenty-eight spaces will be made available for shoppers in the district. The 13,050-square foot lot is on the former Shields property at 1070 Port Washington Blvd.

"It was a blighted property and now it's a beautiful functional space that can impact our parking challenges," said Mindy Germain, executive director of the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington. "We're hoping that merchants will participate in this new amenity, and that will free up some on-street parking for shoppers."

Germain described the former Shields site as "an eyesore, right at the Gateway of Main Street."

The lot now has a pedestrian entrance with bike racks, benches and a garden.

Town officials authorized $483,465 in construction but anticipate the project, which took four months to complete, will cost as much as $465,000.

Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said in a statement that the new lot "will free up prime spaces on the street for shoppers to park, making shopping in downtown Port Washington more convenient. We want people to have a great experience shopping in our downtowns, and providing easy and accessible parking is key."

The community has sought to revitalize the business district. Three businesses in the community are unveiling new facades Thursday as part of an incentive program rolled out by the Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, which offered funds to companies that adopted new storefront signs.

Germain said the group has plans to add 20 plantings to the Main Street, many of them oversized teak planters.

"People complain that when they're driving down Main Street they keep going," Germain said. "We're hoping there will be spots available."

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.