RSS 2.0 FeedDecember 23, 2010, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Legislature approves new First Precinct plan
A new home for Nassau County's first police precinct comes closer to reality.
A longtime vision to build a new First Precinct police headquarters on the original site in Baldwin finally became a reality last week when the county Legislature approved a new plan to rebuild the First Precinct that will save the county $9.825 million.
“Tearing down the old building and erecting a state-of-the-art building at an adjacent property was my original suggestion,” remarked Legislator Joseph Scannell, Democrat of Baldwin.
“For years the proposal was bogged down in endless red tape between county and town officials,” said the legislator in an e-mail to The Leader.
Mr. Scannell said that with the new approval, “A new building will emerge at the corner of Merrick Avenue and Harrison Avenue in Baldwin. We have kept the precinct right where it belongs. The First Precinct will continue to protect the residents of our South Shore community.”
According to a county press release, the county has entered into an agreement to purchase the property at Harrison Avenue and Merrick Road, across the street from the current precinct. The property, street and old precinct will be combined to house the new state-of-the-art First Precinct.
Legislator Scannell and then-County Executive Tom Suozzi inked a deal last year to spend $22,900,000 in a lease agreement to move the precinct to a shopping mall at the Rosen Shopping Center on Grand Avenue.
That plan required the county to lease property for 30 years, pay the landlord rent, pay the landlord to construct the precinct, pay the landlord’s real estate taxes, and give the landlord the property at the end of the 30-year lease, according to the press release.
Mr. Scannell told The Leader there had been support from some in the community for moving the precinct to Grand Avenue near the high school when his original plan did not materialize due to the red tape. “The thought was that a new precinct on Grand Avenue would have contributed to economic development,” he said.
The new plan includes purchasing the new property, creating a dead-end on Harrison Avenue at Merrick Road, building a new precinct and increasing the parking area. The new plan also ensures that the county owns the land and building. The entire project is expected to cost approximately $13 million.
“Now the residents are happy because the precinct will stay where it is, the county taxpayers can be relieved that they are saving almost $10 million, and the county wins because it will own the precinct, as it should,” said the county Legislature’s Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt.
The legislation passed on Monday approved the purchase of the Harrison Avenue property for $1 million. The design and engineering plans are also underway.
