Freeport officials hope senior facility will help with housing crunch, provide jobs

FREEPORT, Long Island (WABC) -- A $60 million redevelopment plan is in the works to help one area of Long Island deal with a housing crunch while also putting people to work.

It is part of the Village of Freeport's continued effort to revitalize the Sunrise Highway Corridor, and the latest step involves a building vacant since the 1980s that will eventually house 250 luxury apartment units for people 55 and over.

The building is located at the intersection of Grove Street and Sunrise Highway, and it will include a fitness center and retail shops on the lower level. The builder hasn't decided whether to keep the existing structure or knock it down to start from scratch.

The project fulfills a need for Long Island to have senior housing close to the city.

"A lot of people want to relocate out east, maybe to Moriches or somewhere out there, where they would have a senior facility," Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy said. "We'll be able to provide those facilities here in the Village of Freeport and keep our residents who no longer want to live at home but would reather live in an apartment or senior developments."

Kennedy also pointed out that since the building was owned by Freeport, the village was able to net $6.4 million when they sold it to the builder.

Some residents said they are a little suspicious about this project, believing it may be politically motivated. They also questioned the timing of the press conference, as there is an election scheduled in the town on Tuesday.