Wincoram Commons— realizing a community vision

Marianne Garvin, CEO, Community Development Corporation of Long Island
 
Challenge: To remove blight, reduce crime, increase affordable housing and create a new focal point in Long Island, NY, through demolition of an abandoned movie theatre, followed by construction of a neighborhood center, affordable housing, commercial space and public amenities.



Blighted for a decade, a Long Island, NY, community was concerned that an abandoned movie theater was bringing down property values and was a magnet for crime. Police, town inspectors and legislators received numerous complaints. Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI) saw the vacant building as an opportunity to revitalize the area with a neighborhood center, affordable housing, commercial space and public amenities.
 
CDCLI’s mission is to invest in the housing and economic aspirations of individuals and families by providing solutions that foster and maintain vibrant, equitable and sustainable communities. The need for affordable rental housing on Long Island is severe, especially for non-age restricted populations. According to 2015 Census data 50 percent of area renters spend 35 percent or more of their incomes on rent, and median rents are in excess of $1,500 per month.

This problem correlates closely to the fact that Long Island has a much smaller percentage of rental housing than most suburban areas. There is a limited availability of land for new construction. To compound matters, as one of the most racially segregated regions, we also face the daunting task of overcoming prejudices and misinformation regarding affordable housing and the families we want to help.
 
The 17-acre site that would ultimately become Wincoram Commons presented an ideal opportunity for CDCLI to work with our partners and take a comprehensive approach to community development by educating the community, building affordable housing, providing commerce through retail, preserving wetlands and ultimately revitalizing the area.
 
The abandoned theater was identified in Brookhaven Town’s 2010 “Blight to Light Plan” as a core project for the Coram community’s renaissance. The plan called for redevelopment proposals to include architectural quality, energy conservation measures, quality landscaping, pedestrian-friendly access, parking, community benefits and to be consistent with other visions for the area. An earlier recommendation called for a new roadway with storefront businesses in the community.
 
This high profile site needed an organization to leverage the investments necessary to design, finance and implement a redevelopment. In 2011, a Brookhaven Town official suggested that CDCLI take a look at the site and see whether we could transform it in accordance with the community’s vision. For four years, CDCLI worked with the Coram Civic Association, elected officials from multiple layers of government, the Longwood School Board, the volunteer fire department, the chamber of commerce and other local organizations to understand the community’s needs. We conducted a NeighborWorks Community Impact Measurement Survey of residents living in a one mile radius of the site, which indicated support for revitalization and especially the demolition of the movie theatre.
 
CDCLI interviewed private developers and selected Conifer Realty to partner with in the redevelopment of the site into a focal point for the community. The final design included 176 rental apartments and townhouses that are affordable to working families and seniors, a clubhouse with a fitness center and community space, a small downtown pedestrian plaza incorporating 9,000 square feet of office/retail space, reconfigured roadways, sidewalks and wetlands protections. The plan embodied the vision of local residents and their dream of a vibrant destination for the surrounding community. 
 
“Wincoram Commons is the culmination of ten years of hard work by the community to create a vision plan and find a good developer to build our dream,” “CDCLI and Conifer understood exactly what we wanted to accomplish to create our vision of a hamlet center,” says Erma Gluck, president of the Coram Civic Association. “For far too long we were frustrated that no one understood our vision. It’s a wonderful feeling seeing our vision come to fruition.”
 
Wincoram Commons received a $1 million grant from the Governor’s Long Island Regional Economic Development Council due to its transformative nature, transit-oriented development, public plaza and importance to the local economy. In addition, CDCLI leveraged other public and private financial commitments, including low income housing tax credits, to finance the $56 million project, which created 150 construction jobs and 34 permanent jobs. More than 2,000 applications were received for the apartments, so a lottery was held in the spring of 2015 for the 176 mixed income apartments, which are energy efficient and developed according to New York’s Green Building Standards. All units were occupied in February 2016.
 
We learned that developing affordable housing requires years of preparation, a skilled and experienced development team, a willingness to cooperate with and learn from local residents and elected officials, and a plan that incorporates solutions to multiple community issues. Time must be spent to meet with community stakeholders to understand their concerns and incorporate them into the development. The role of community development organizations like ours is to bring the community together for a lasting impact.