Suffolk seeks to move millions for killed Ronkonkoma convention center to other big-ticket projects
A convention center was initially set for Ronkonkoma through a major redevelopment project that's since been killed. Lawmakers are now looking to use money intended for that center for other infrastructure, tourism-related projects. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Suffolk County plans to divert revenue from a tax on hotel stays originally earmarked for a potential convention center to broader infrastructure uses and tourism-related projects.
A pending bill would allow for about $50 million in the Suffolk County Infrastructure Fund bankrolled by the hotel/motel tax to be used on the Ponquogue Bridge reconstruction, Shinnecock Canal infrastructure and coastal resiliency projects, among other possible uses.
Tourism has been a thriving industry in Suffolk County, where visitors spent more than $5 billion in 2025 across a range of sectors, including lodging, according to a Tourism Economics report published last month. Long Island ranked first in visitor spending in New York State outside of New York City, according to the report.
The legislature’s Economic Development, Planning & Housing Committee set a public hearing for next Wednesday at its general meeting in Hauppauge.
The fund created in 2023 under the prior administration was originally earmarked solely for a "convention center and surrounding infrastructure." The center had been proposed as part of the former $2.8 billion Ronkonkoma Midway Crossing redevelopment that was killed by County Executive Edward P. Romaine about a year and a half ago. The future of the site’s redevelopment remains unclear.
Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) said there’s currently no plan for a convention center, so the money should be put to use.
"That money’s sitting in a fund that could be going to existing infrastructure problems throughout the county, whether it’s roads, bridges, wastewater," he said Wednesday.
Piccirillo has been skeptical of a convention center since it was first proposed at Ronkonkoma. He was one of three legislators to vote against the legislation that created the fund, saying at the time he would not vote for a tax increase.
Money raised from the tax has generally been used to support tourism promotion. Currently, $17.25 million is committed each year to various agencies, with the rest going into the infrastructure fund.
The change to the infrastructure fund is the most significant among several updates to how the hotel/motel tax revenue is divided. Some nonprofits and museums that currently receive funding, like the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, would also receive a boost. The legislation also adds $250,000 each year for the Montauk Historical Society, the nonprofit that owns and operates the Montauk Point Lighthouse.
The pending bill would also decrease funding from $6 million to $4.5 million for a "not-for-profit tourism promotion agency," which has been Discover Long Island.
Mike Martino, Romaine's spokesperson, did not respond to questions sent about the changes to the hotel/motel tax.
Changes to the hotel/motel tax required state legislation. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill in July that allowed the county to update how the revenue is spent in the county charter.
The hotel tax paid by renters is levied in addition to the 8.75% sales tax.
The amount of revenue collected through the tax has rapidly climbed in recent years from about $14 million in 2022 to nearly $23 million in 2024. The increase is due to a bump in the tax from 3% to 5.5% that went into effect in 2023 at the same time the infrastructure fund was created. The county also updated last year how revenue is collected for short-term rentals like Airbnb.
Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr., whose office collects the tax, said the contracts with Airbnb and Vrbo have resulted in a “substantial additional increase” in revenue of about $5 million to $6 million.
He said he also supported the latest changes to the infrastructure fund.
“That [convention center plan] never should have been tied to some kind of guaranteed municipal funding,” he said. “The project should stand or fall on its own balance, not necessarily because you somehow co-opted some particular revenue stream.”
Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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