Located on the north shore of Long Island, the City of Glen Cove is a small community, approximately 7 square miles in size.  Easy access to Long Island Sound and proximity to New York City has made Glen Cove’s waterfront district an industrial and commercial center for the past two centuries.  However, by the 1980s, the city’s manufacturing sector had permanently declined, leaving more than 213 acres of  abandoned and contaminated industrial sites along a waterway that had not been dredged for commercial use in 30 years.  These properties have negatively impacted the city’s overall economy,  property values, and tax base.

 

Since 1995, the Partners to Revitalize Glen Cove’s Waterfront have  used a two-part process: 1) area-wide redevelopment planning, resulting in the Glen Cove Waterfront Revitalization Plan, and 2)  six Commitments to Action workshops involving the public and private sectors.  The workshops brought together local, state, and federal  partners; provided a roadmap for the community’s vision; identified  technical expertise and additional funding resources; and assisted in establishing long-term partnerships.  As a result, Glen Cove has  leveraged close to $40 million in public and private investment that is dramatically transforming the community’s waterfront.

Using a community-based approach, the City engaged a diverse range of public and private partners to help clean up contaminated property, dredge Glen Cove Creek to restore commercial access, and begin to restore more than a mile of  waterfront to productive use through environmental, economic, infrastructure, and recreational improvements. Creative transportation solutions such as pedestrian and bicycle pathways, and initiatives to preserve open space, will enhance the surrounding environment.

This approach has inspired ongoing cooperation and partnership  with many organizations and has been critical to the continued success of the revitalization.  Waterfront development plans for Glen Cove will generate approximately $200 million in annual sales and $10 million in taxes, and will create more than 1,700 new full-time jobs.  The Northern Type site is the first of the brownfields to be developed and is now home to an Environmental consulting firm.  The Glen Cove Waterfront Revitalization Initiative demonstrates how multi-agency partnerships can leverage assistance, leading to better area-wide redevelopment planning.