Study Will Analyze Business District, Opportunities

A team of consultants will be taking to the streets of Glen Cove's downtown business district for the next month to collect data on the area's current condition and potential for enhancement, a city press release announced Tuesday.

“The downtown is the gateway area to our waterfront,” stated Mayor Ralph Suozzi in the release. “As we invest in the redevelopment of our waterfront, and its opening to public access, we want to make a conscientious effort to strengthen and revitalize our downtown with a broader array of shopping and dining choices."

The analysis is Phase II of the Downtown Gateway to the Waterfront Study, the first part of which was conducted in 2008.

This phase will evaluate the downtown infrastructure through interviews with local merchants and property owners, examination of types of retail present, retail consumption patterns, the level of commercial vacancies and shopper surveys. It will also evaluate the general conditions of the district, the city said.

The goal is "improvement of appearance, enhanced safety, growth of investment and attraction of new businesses," according to the city. Results will be used to come up with a revitalization plan for the district, which the city wants to "blend seamlessly" with the .

The study is being funded by a grant from the state's Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.

It will be conducted by consultants from Magnusson Architecture and Planning, a Manhattan firm specializing in urban revitalization, as well as Larissa Ortiz Associates out of Queens and JGSC Group of Merchantville, N.J.