Nurturing Huntington's newest downtown & corporate center

Here in the town of Huntington, I am pleased to note that government and business leaders are working together to foster Melville's continuing evolution as a corporate center as well as development as Long Island's newest downtown. Recently, colleague councilman Mark Cuthbertson and I used a joint meeting of the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society and the real estate developer-based group, Association for a Better Long Island, to announce the formation of the Melville Business Partnership. Comprised of business and government leaders, Melville Partnership members will work together on issues such as: * Advocating and promoting business development strategies to strengthen Melville as an employment center; * Modernizing zoning to enhance corporate development, including creation of a new office/employment zone that encourages and promotes better use of land values, improved site design and pedestrian linkage and shared site amenities; * Encouraging "downtown" development that provides restaurants, retail and personal services within walking distance for employees; and * Exploring the economic and financial feasibility of establishing special use districts to address long-term infrastructure needs. Melville is the epicenter of corporate office development on Long Island and is the town's largest source of employment and tax revenue. Our economic future largely depends on how major stakeholders-those with the knowledge, influence and respect in the business community-work together to nurture this resource. Melville attracts high-quality technical and knowledge-based employers in industries like finance, high-tech and science that cluster in areas with the proper "locational" and "synergistic" attributes. To continue to thrive, grow new jobs and retain the good jobs, the Town knows it must plan ahead and anticipate future needs. Canon's recent groundbreaking for its Americas headquarters, on top of the relocation of Leviton's corporate headquarters and the expansion of Rubies' Costumes' headquarters, underscores Melville's additional potential as a corporate headquarters center. The partnership's role will be to ensure that we do not lose the momentum these three corporate actions have produced to further drive the town's economic engine. While the details of the partnership's structure are still being finalized, we certainly envision a major role for the Melville Chamber of Commerce. Melville Chamber president Michael DeLuise told me that companies large and small are ready and eager to work side by side with government through this partnership dedicated to eliminating anything that might clog the arteries of our economic life. I plan to discuss more about the Partnership at a Melville Chamber membership breakfast in mid-September. Frank Petrone is the Huntington, N.Y. town supervisor.