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September 16, 2020
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MTA Seeking Proposals for Transit-Oriented Development at LIRR Westbury Station |
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MTA Seeking Developers with Transit-Oriented Vision to Build off of Third Track Project Improvements Coming to Westbury and Other Main Line Communities Development Site Located on LIRR-Owned Commuter Parking Lot on South Side of Westbury Station
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Construction & Development announced today that it has issued a request for proposals from property developers with ambition and vision to build a transit-oriented development (TOD) project on the Long Island Rail Road-owned commuter parking lot on the south side of the LIRR Westbury Station. The development, which may include mixed-use multifamily residential and public open space with retail or commercial elements, would build off of the benefits introduced by the LIRR Expansion Project to add a third track to the LIRR Main Line, and would serve as a new and innovative source of revenue for the MTA in perpetuity.
“The LIRR Expansion Project is a historic investment in Long Island that will improve service for our customers and also make the communities we serve even more attractive places to live and work,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “We are looking for a developer who is interested in working with the MTA and the Village of Westbury to build on the tremendous benefit reliable transit provides.”
“The Village believes that a TOD project on the MTA’s lot on the south side of the station will leverage the new zoning we have put in place for the station area and be a keystone project in our continuing next-level downtown revitalization,” said Mayor Peter Cavallaro. “The easy commute from Westbury, along with all of the other current and anticipated upgrades in the area will attract new residents, further enhancing the sustainability of our downtown and entire community into the future.”
The development site is being made available by the relocation and augmentation of parking spaces in the new four-level, 683-space parking structure that MTA is constructing on the north side of the station as part of the LIRR Expansion Project (AKA “Third Track” project), which is scheduled to open in 2021. The Village of Westbury has been at the forefront of downtown revitalization as the recipient of a $10 million grant as part of New York’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
In 2019 the Village of Westbury amended its zoning resolution to provide for a new TOD district that encourages residential development in the area around the Westbury LIRR station. The MTA is offering a 99-year ground lease on 1.6 acres of property and has the potential to raise millions of dollars for the MTA over the course of a lease, in addition to generating revenue for the local community by creating jobs and enlarging the tax base.
The LIRR’s Westbury station, which served approximately 4,000 daily riders pre-pandemic, will greatly benefit from the Third Track project which will add an additional track between the Floral Park and Hicksville stations, including Westbury. The project will improve transit reliability and allow for additional reverse-peak service, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance quality of life for communities along the LIRR Main Line.
In addition to the service improvements, the Westbury station will receive a robust renovation of its interior and exterior, and other improvements including:
Westbury, one of the most diverse communities on Long Island, is located 45 minutes from Penn Station on the LIRR. The Village's thriving downtown, walkability, access to transit, and arts and cultural scene provide a strong basis for the community's continued growth and vibrancy.
In recent years the MTA has invested more than $13.7 billion in new service and infrastructure to better serve Long Island commuters. Among these investments are the LIRR Expansion Project and East Side Access project. East Side Access will provide approximately 162,000 LIRR commuters with a faster and easier commute from Long Island to the east side of Manhattan in a new eight-track terminal and concourse below Grand Central Terminal.
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