Businesses React to Proposed Winthrop Research Center

Mineola business owners are welcoming the possibility of a being proposed by in the downtown area of the village.

The new four-story diabetes research center would be located on the site of the old community outreach center at the northeast corner of Mineola Boulevard and Second street, just at the northern edge of the bridge spanning the Long Island Rail Road tracks.

At a July meeting, Tony Lubrano, owner of , who said that he was speaking on behalf of the , speculated that the businesses would welcome the redevelopment as well as the increased business from construction workers coming in for lunch and meals and employees working in the building after completion.

“They’re supported there by that hospital and they depend on the hospital to keep them going,” Lubrano said. “I can’t speak for all of them but I think that most of them would look to this project and be applauding it because it will bring more life to that area and clean up that area.”

Speaking to the that night, Winthrop Vice-President of Development John Broder said that it was the hospital’s belief “that during a construction period a lot of the eating establishments in the area will actually see a benefit from individuals working on the site bothe for morning and lunch times.”

Robert Fox, owner of , stated that hedid not forsee any “interruption that can be caused by this project to our business on Main Street. I don’t see any problem with parking for our customers. Anything could be an improvement to the corner as it exists now.”

The hospital is also undertaking approximately $1.6 million in aesthetic improvements which include landscaping, beautification and burying of power and utility lines.

One of the surprise speakers at the July 13 hearing was state , who asked the board to consider the and the impact it would have on alleviating traffic after concerns about congestion were raised.

“That’s why that was built before this project was proposed,” Martins said of the garage’s purpose. “At a time when the entire country and certainly our local communities are struggling with economic development, the idea of building a $50 million project in Mineola is, I think, a wonderful testament to our local community.”