Dozens participated in the Design Workshop, including Town Councilwoman Glenda Jackson, a Huntington Station resident herself.

The Town of Huntington recently invited Huntington Station neighbors, community leaders, and businesspeople to the Huntington Library Station Branch for a special Design Workshop for the future Huntington Station Plaza. The proposed plaza at the corner of Olive Street and New York Avenue will anchor the entry to Huntington Station neighborhoods, a new downtown shopping area, and the forthcoming Northridge Street Cultural and Retail Center.

The workshop, held in cooperation with the Town's Economic Development Corporation (EDC), allowed community members to further guide the Town, the EDC, and its architect in designing this plaza. Participants were also able to meet the artist recently selected to work on a public art component for the Huntington Station Plaza. The newest rendering of the project presented at this workshop was the result of the collective vision of all the participants at the Town's first Design Workshop held last Fall. "The proposed plaza creates different areas of use that all flow into one other," said Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone. "At one end of the plaza, a performance could be presented, while at the other end, we've envisioned some type of community "information gazebo" and gathering point. With the gazebo, ‘village sidewalks', and performance area contained in the plans, our goal is to recapture pedestrian traffic and make Huntington Station more of a destination place for everyone to enjoy."

Community members in attendance at this follow-up workshop were pleased with the architect's interpretations of their ideas for the plaza, the design's linkage with existing businesses, and its ability to be expanded in the future. They were also very encouraged to hear that since the last workshop the EDC had secured an additional $50,000 from Suffolk County for the project and that the Huntington Station Plaza had attracted the attention of the New York State American Institute of Architects. "The revitalization of Huntington Station has been a collaborative effort between the Town and the community," remarked Town Councilwoman Glenda Jackson who attended the meeting. "I am excited to see that we are closer to breaking ground and my colleagues and I are looking forward to the completion of this project." Councilwoman Jackson also noted that several community members were concerned by the removal of the Suffolk County Police Department Annex in Huntington Station and she is currently looking into the situation.

Community members were also updated on several other important EDC projects being undertaken in Huntington Station. The EDC reported that negotiations with the developer for the Northridge Street Center were almost done and that construction would begin by year's end. In addition, streetscaping improvements have been funded and are going forward which will include decorative lampposts, decorative fencing, brick sidewalks, and street trees, similar to those in Huntington village. The first phase will center around the train station parking lot. Phase Two will encompass Northridge to Pulaski. Work on Phase One will be starting after Memorial Day. Phase Two should begin in the Fall.