May 17, 2026 · Updated May 17, 2026
The Riverhead Town Board will hear public comment at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, on a proposal to condemn the long-vacant Long Island Science Center building at 111 East Main Street on the town square. A 3-2 board vote in April put formal eminent domain proceedings in motion, and residents who want to weigh in on the forced purchase have until Tuesday night.
The Riverhead Town Board will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, on a proposal to seize the Long Island Science Center building at the heart of downtown Riverhead.
The board voted 3-2 in April to begin formal condemnation proceedings against 111 East Main Street, a property on the town's Town Square that has sat vacant for years while the science center nonprofit promised an interactive museum that never opened. Tuesday's session at Riverhead Town Hall is the legal prerequisite under New York state eminent domain law before the town can order an independent appraisal and make a formal purchase offer.
Councilmembers Joann Waski, Denise Merrifield and Kenneth Rothwell voted in favor of the resolution. Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin and Councilman Bob Kern voted no.
The Long Island Science Center has held the parcel at 111 East Main Street for years under plans for a science and technology museum on the town square. The project stalled through multiple fundraising setbacks and repeated delays, leaving one of downtown Riverhead's most prominent corner lots dark and boarded up.
In early April, the nonprofit returned to the board with a revised phased development plan, an attempt to pause the condemnation push. The board considered the proposal and moved forward anyway, directing town attorneys to schedule the hearing.
Under state eminent domain law, if the town decides to pursue acquisition within 90 days of the hearing, it must retain an independent appraiser, establish the property's fair market value and deliver a formal offer of just compensation to the science center. The nonprofit could accept that offer or challenge the valuation in court, a process that can drag on for years while the building continues to sit idle.
The 111 East Main Street parcel sits on Riverhead's Town Square, one block from the Peconic River waterfront. Business owners along the block have told the board that the vacant building suppresses foot traffic on a stretch of Main Street that draws summer visitors from across the East End and North Fork wine country.
Not everyone wants the town to move this fast. Opponents of condemnation argue that eminent domain exposes taxpayers to open-ended liability if the appraisal dispute ends up in court. Halpin and Kern have urged the board to give the nonprofit more time to secure private funding for its phased plan before forcing a sale.
Riverhead's Business Improvement District has been rolling out a new branding and marketing strategy to position downtown as a year-round destination. A visible, vacant building at the town square has long complicated that pitch.
Alongside the condemnation question, other projects are advancing along the same corridor. Board members praised a redesigned East End Arts campus proposal at a recent meeting, and a Peconic River Hotel concept has circulated among developers looking to anchor the waterfront end of Main Street. Town officials have said the 111 East Main Street parcel is central to any serious revitalization plan.
The public hearing begins at 6 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Ave. The public may sign up to comment on the record. No vote is expected Tuesday; any authorization of an appraisal would require a separate board action at a later meeting.
