Retail shops, museum planned in Freeport

Freeport officials and developers have outlined a raft of major developments planned in the village in the coming months, including a Target store, a museum, a revitalized shopping plaza and a new insurance company.

The plans were unveiled for more than 100 residents Thursday at a community forum on economic development at the Congregation B'nai Israel. The event, sponsored by the Freeport Community Development Agency, was hosted by Mayor Andrew Hardwick, who said he had hoped for a better showing from the village of about 44,000 people.

"I am hoping that more residents get involved," Hardwick said. "I know that not everyone is going to agree with what we do."

Among the most significant projects, officials said the Long Island Museum of Science and Natural History is slated to open in late spring on the former site of the Woodcleft Avenue annex of Manhattan's South Street Seaport Museum.

Dr. Ray Ann Havasy, director of the Rockville Centre-based Center for Science Teaching and Learning, which plans to open the museum, said it is being privately financed with $250,000.

The museum will not pay rent to the Freeport CDA or property taxes to the village, because it is a nonprofit, Havasy said.

In exchange, the museum will have free admission days and events for village residents only. And residents will be the first invited to apply for the museum's 30 to 50 positions, she said.

"Creating a museum is a community effort," said Havasy, who said similar museums add about $80 million a year to a community.

In another major development, Gregg M. Saunders, a developer for the Manhattan-based Phillips International, said his company would help open a Target store containing a Starbucks in 2013 on Sunrise Highway, close to Meadowbrook Parkway.

Target is expected to invest $30 million and create more than 200 jobs, he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Realty president Andrew Brenner outlined plans to fill the 35,000-square-foot retail center at West Sunrise Highway and South Long Beach Avenue. Construction is planned for early spring to improve the building's facade and fix the center's sidewalks and driveways, he said.

"We have cleaned it up," Brenner said. "We still have a lot to do."

Brenner said he is working to bring in new businesses to fill 14,000 square feet of vacant space, including a supermarket.

Lastly, American Transit Insurance Co. officials announced plans to open a $5-million office building at 5 Broadway next year, said Kimberley Arroyo, a manager for the company. The company hopes to include local hires in the office's 60 employees.