Bilingual forum next for Hempstead project

Hispanic residents of Hempstead Village have been invited to meet this weekend with the developers of a major redevelopment project that aims to revitalize Main Street.

In an effort to include Spanish-speaking residents in the process, the advocacy group Long Island Civic Participation Project has scheduled a forum for Saturday at 5 p.m. at 250 Fulton Ave., Suite 607 in Hempstead. The forum will be simultaneously interpreted in English and Spanish.

The project developers — Plainview-based Renaissance Downtowns and UrbanAmerica, a New York City real estate investment firm, both hired by the village in January — and village officials envision a combination of condominiums, co-ops and rental apartments ranging from studios to town houses for various income levels. The $2-billion project, which is also expected to include a hotel, a mix of shops, open spaces, parking and entertainment venues, would be paid for by the developers and private-property owners, tax credits, bonds and grants. The entire project could take about a decade to complete, developers said.

Sean McLean, vice president of planning and development for Renaissance Downtowns, and village Trustee Livio Rosario will participate in the forum. Members of other advocacy groups including New York Communities for Change and the Workplace Project are also expected to attend.