The state has granted $10 million for the Town of Islip to revitalize the downtown area in Central Islip.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Wednesday at Touro Law School. The governor said the town won first place in the state's revitalization contest, beating out over 100 entrants.
Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter says there has been development on the north and south sides of the town already. She says it's the area in the middle that needs a lot of help.
“This will enable us to pull it all together and have that walkable downtown – a real sense of community,” she says.
Projects being considered along a 2-mile stretch include renovating a vacant firehouse, a mixed-use retail and housing development and possibly even a downtown trolley.
It’s the first time a Suffolk community has won the annual state grant. Hicksville won it in 2017, and Westbury won it in 2016.