Hempstead Village postpones redevelopment plan vote

The Hempstead Village Board postponed a $2.5-billion downtown redevelopment plan tonight that includes housing, shops, a hotel and a cultural center.

The plan was set to be voted on tonight but Mayor Wayne Hall postponed the vote to an undetermined date.

Hall says the best part of the plan is a community benefits agreement with the developer which calls for 25 percent of the construction and permanent jobs to go to Hempstead residents.

But some, like resident Diane Goins, says it's not enough. She says the developer will only have to make an effort to hire locally and that there needs to be a push for more low-income housing.