Downtown Riverhead Redevelopment Plan
Juror summary: a well-executed transit-oriented redevelopment plan to revitalize a downtown waterfront with a mix of uses, walkable urban blocks and park space.
Our approach to this project begins with the understanding that a successful downtown should not be just a destination, but rather a vibrant, mixed-use community of people living and working together. Our proposed development consists of 550 units of housing grouped into two to four story townhouses, approximately 194,000 sq. ft. of office space, and approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
Along the Peconic River, we replace parking lots and unappealing back door building entrances with landscaped features that celebrate the pedestrian experience of the park/boardwalk along the water’s edge. Shops, courtyards and restaurants are interwoven with new cultural institutions. We propose to reroute the cars and congestion of Peconic Avenue and repurpose it as a new public plaza. This newly created plaza will serve as a public space for community gatherings; emphasizing the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall as a place of prominence at the center of Downtown culture and activity.
To the north, the entire length of Second Street will be infilled with brick and limestone townhouses. Parking is provided for shared use through access to internal courts as well as in new parking structures that will line the railroad tracks. A new Municipal Center will be created at the convergence of Court Street, West Main Street and Griffing Avenue. Openings between buildings provide views to the Peconic River.
Through these efforts, Downtown Riverhead will be transformed into a modern village, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and amenities. Ultimately, our vision for Downtown will be today’s evolution, promoting examples of great architecture today and a respect for and an incorporation of the best elements of the past. We see this plan as part of the progression of Riverhead’s development continuum, a natural evolution derived from the convergence of time and cultures: yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Key themes: transit-oriented development (TOD), cultural capital and the arts, multi-unit housing, vernacular architecture
Collaborators: Baldassano Architecture LLP