Don't let Long Island's giant hubs stagnate

Just south of the Long Island Rail Road tracks in Ronkonkoma sit dozens of empty acres of developable land that can boost the Island’s economic activity and tax base.

Yet the land known as the Ronkonkoma Hub remains idle, one of two stubborn examples of failure.

Nearly 33 miles away, dozens of empty acres of developable land, known as the Nassau Hub, lie vacant, Long Island’s most high-profile example of political and governmental failure.

These wannabe “hubs” reveal the infighting, intransigence and multiple layers of sclerotic government that stymie progress on the Island.

When we wonder why taxes are so high, or where the new high-paying jobs are, or when we’ll create the housing we need, look no further than those two properties.

MISSTEPS IN NASSAU

The Nassau Hub story is well-known and decades long, full of Hempstead Town and Nassau County political games and plenty of misplayed hands by developers, potential tenants and elected officials alike. Those failures resulted in the loss of potential jobs, housing and economic activity, along with the departure of the New York Islanders from Uniondale and the severe underutilization of Nassau Coliseum, once the Island’s sports and entertainment centerpiece.

Just last week, what could have been came into sharp relief, when NYU Langone Health unveiled plans for a hospital and academic medical center worth billions of dollars to be located in Melville. Years ago, Northwell Health expressed interest in developing medical and research facilities on the land surrounding Nassau Coliseum. And Langone previously had proposed a new hospital on Nassau Community College’s neighboring campus. Neither saw a shovel in the ground.

Until very recently, the Ronkonkoma Hub seemed to have more momentum behind it. To the north, a new neighborhood is rising, in the form of Station Yards, a $1.2 billion successful development that ultimately is expected to include 1,450 apartments, nearly 200,000 square feet of retail, and 360,000 square feet of office space. It has revitalized the area.

For the 48 acres of county land to the south, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine had voiced support, even preparing to issue a request for development ideas as recently as last month. Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter was also supportive, hoping whatever was built would dovetail nicely with plans for a new Long Island MacArthur Airport terminal to the north, closer to the railroad station. A professional review team recently chose a winning proposal for the airport terminal’s redevelopment and had begun sharing those plans with town board members, who control the zoning for the county parcel, too. The board was expected to vote soon, although doubts — and the complexities of Islip politics — remain.

Then there’s the money. In February 2025, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined Carpenter and Romaine to announce a massive $150 million state investment for the site. Those funds were earmarked for infrastructure work to propel the airport improvements and development proposals forward. At a lectern carrying the banner “Suffolk County Taking Flight,” Hochul highlighted partnerships with elected officials, labor leaders and community members, along with key assets like the airport and LIRR, as keys to the larger effort’s success.

“My priority right now is building back the state, building up Long Island to reach its full, full, full potential,” Hochul said at the time. “You’ve got it all. There are no excuses. So, let’s get it done.”

STATE FUNDING REJECTED

The pieces were falling into place. But the Suffolk County Legislature — particularly Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo — had other ideas. Late last month, the legislature pulled the entire pot of promised state money — along with $50 million in county hotel-motel tax funds — out of the county’s capital budget.

“I don’t want to spend one more dollar of taxpayer money on this project that’s never going to get off the ground,” Piccirillo said.

Let’s be clear: Suffolk elected officials, who constantly complain they don’t have enough money from the state, sought to throw away $150 million from Albany — funds that could have been allocated elsewhere but were earmarked for Suffolk. Nah, they said. We don’t want your money. Especially if it’s for development in Ronkonkoma. In rejecting such efforts, the Republican legislature is throwing away close to $1 billion in potential private investment, too.

Taxpayers are the ones who will suffer from such an extraordinarily politically selfish and shortsighted move. It, too, mirrors Nassau’s past, as a decade ago, the state committed $85 million to the Nassau Hub for infrastructure, but eventually took it back when the county and town couldn’t get their acts together.

Why is this happening again? Most elected officials involved — including Romaine, Carpenter, Legis. Trish Bergin, who represents part of the area, and other county lawmakers and town board members — say they support some development in Ronkonkoma, if “done right.” So, do it right — and do it now, before Hochul redirects the funds to another municipality that can use the seed money. That should start with Romaine issuing the RFP he planned — let’s see what developers have in mind. It can continue with the Islip Town Board moving forward with plans for the town and airport land. And it can come to fruition if all three levels of government somehow work in tandem. Look with a wide lens. Research and medical facilities, entertainment venues, an oft-discussed convention center, experiential retail and even some housing should be on the table. With a dose of imagination, smart and stimulating plans can come together.

Acres of pavement lying fallow in two of New York’s most desirable counties should not become a harbinger of the Island’s stagnation. With leadership, courage and ingenuity, a more vibrant future for the land — and the region — awaits.