Editorial: The real test begins after the groundbreaking

Shovels will finally go into the ground Friday on Riverhead’s $32.6 million Town Square project, with dignitaries from the governor’s office expected at the noon groundbreaking at 127 E. Main St.

After years of planning, eminent domain battles and public debate, what officials say will transform downtown into a destination is at last becoming reality.

We hope they’re right.

There’s reason for optimism. Joseph Petrocelli has a proven record — the Long Island Aquarium and Hyatt Place East End speak for themselves.

An 80-room Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel with condos and ground-floor retail could bring the kind of steady activity downtown Riverhead needs. Add in a public plaza, playground and amphitheater, and you’ve got real potential to undo decades of downtown decline.

But concerns remain, and Supervisor Tim Hubbard’s decision to dismiss critics as politically motivated obstructionists at an August Town Board meeting was unfair and unhelpful. Taxpayers have every right to question major development decisions without being accused of partisan obstruction.

Just three months after Mr. Hubbard praised Mr. Petrocelli’s track record at that same meeting, voters narrowly elected Pastor Jerry Halpin, a political unknown who campaigned on listening to residents, fiscal restraint and greater transparency in town government. Mr. Halpin won by just 37 votes in November. Friday’s groundbreaking may be one of the last times the public sees Mr. Hubbard in an official capacity before Mr. Halpin takes over Jan. 1.

Despite strong objections at public hearings, the Town Board voted unanimously to sign off on the deal. The town sold three properties for $2.65 million without competitive bidding. Whether that was legally permissible under urban renewal law isn’t the question — the question is whether it was wise. Did taxpayers get the best deal? We’ll never know, because no other proposals were sought.

The eminent domain proceeding that forced out Craft’D bar for a $120,000 settlement adds another uncomfortable layer. Using government power to seize private property for private development always deserves scrutiny.

Beyond the initial construction — slated to run through 2026 — taxpayers are on the hook for ongoing costs. Mr. Petrocelli’s firm will receive 7% of construction costs to manage the public spaces, plus $150,000 annually for 10 years to maintain the park. That’s $1.5 million in management fees alone, not counting the construction management percentage. 

Those aren’t abstract figures. They’re real taxpayer dollars flowing to a private developer for work the town’s parks department might otherwise perform.

The parking concerns are also worth taking seriously. Downtown already struggles during peak times. The development includes only 12 underground parking spaces for condo owners. The 80 hotel rooms and restaurant will rely on the planned First Street parking garage. That might work fine — or it might create a new problem.

None of this means the project is doomed. Many downtown business owners enthusiastically support the development. Letters of support flooded in from the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary and East End Arts. They see what Mr. Petrocelli’s previous projects have done for downtown. That track record counts for something.

Friday’s groundbreaking is a milestone, but it can’t be treated as a victory lap. The real test begins now.