Starbucks planned for Middle Island site of former bank

A former Middle Island bank is trading loans and mortgages for lattes and macchiatos.

A developer is planning to convert the shuttered bank, at 599 Middle Country Rd., into a Starbucks coffee franchise. The plan has the support of local residents and Brookhaven Town officials.

The bank has stood empty since closing in about 2019, town planning director Donald Hohn said at an Oct. 23 town board meeting.

The 4,000-square-foot building is topped with a decorative cupola, which will remain, officials said.

The developer, listed in town records as RA Middle Island LLC, plans to add 6,000 square feet of "native landscaping," the developer's Hauppauge attorney, J. Timothy Shea Jr., told the town board at the meeting.

Gail Lynch-Bailey, president of the Middle Island Civic Association, said she welcomed the plan.

“We’re thrilled to have this near-perfect reuse of an existing building. This is the type of development that we dream of,” she told the town board. “We’re bringing a national brand to Middle Island. It’s just a complete win-win-win all around.”

The town board voted 7-0 at the meeting to approve a zoning change with a special permit for a major restaurant with a drive-thru.

The project still must obtain building permits before reconstruction can start.

The store will employ five people when it opens, town records show.

Town Councilman Michael Loguercio, who represents Middle Island, called the Starbucks “an excellent project,” adding, “This is something that will benefit the area.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.