The Glen Cove Community Development Agency (“GCCDA”) won a New York State grant to study the development potential of a Brownfield Opportunity Area (“BOA”) in the Orchard neighborhood of Glen Cove, a neighborhood that featured excellent mass-transit access via the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Glen Street Station. The BOA program focuses on revitalizing neighborhoods that have been affected by sites with environmental contamination, and provides funds to allow communities to:
- Assess conditions that are negatively affecting the neighborhood
- Build a plan for the neighborhood with community support and feedback
- Allow the municipality to use the plan to secure private and public support for specific revitalization and redevelopment projects.
To assist in this study, the GCCDA was seeking an objective consultant team with experience in master planning and analysis of strategic economic development in transit-rich locations. RESGroup was hired as part of the team to complete a planning study for the Orchard BOA, and to consider the potential for the area to benefit from its proximity to the commuter rail station. RESGroup was responsible for the real estate market overview, and helped GCCDA understand the potential demand for certain types for light industrial, big box retail, and transit-oriented uses, and the potential impact of such development on the surrounding area. The analysis provided an understanding of the neighborhood’s physical, location, and market conditions, as well as the types of transit connections needed to attract certain types of mixed-use, light industrial and big-box retail to the area. Advantages and disadvantages of the study area were also analyzed in this context.
