$1.7M grant given for downtown Huntington garage

Plans for a parking garage in downtown Huntington have received a financial boost from the state.

The Town of Huntington Local Development Corp. was awarded a $1.7 million grant from the state Regional Economic Council for construction of a new public parking garage.

“We’re ecstatic,” Town Supervisor Frank Petrone said. “I think it shows the state sees a need for a parking structure and they have been extremely cooperative with us in this process.”

In July, the town approved the second phase of a study to explore financial models, estimates and projections for a parking garage project.

The first phase of the report was completed in May and found that a 528-space parking structure was viable for part of the municipal parking lot between New and Green streets south of Main Street. Level G Associates of Old Bethpage performed the first and second phases of a parking garage study.

The Huntington Economic Development Corp. voted in February to retain Level G to review and update previous town studies of parking congestion in the downtown area. The company also was charged with completing a conceptual design of a parking garage and to assess its potential, sizing and economics.