Beautiful Downtown Baldwin

Will It Look As Good On Grand Avenue As It Does On Paper?

You know, we can't beat up on Hempstead Town all the time. [Well, actually, we can, but if we say something nice, it just may catch them off guard.]

Town Supervisor Kate Marray, along with Councilmembers Dorothy Goosby and Tony Santino, recently unveiled the plans and drawings for a revitalized and rejuvenated Baldwin business district, and we must say, it looks fantastic.

The typical boilerplate "best is yet to come" of the press release aside -- and what would Town Hall be without it -- the planned redevelopment, actually promulgated in cooperation with the Baldwin business community and local residents, offers a whole lot more than the usual sidewalk planters and Victorian-style street lamps.

Indeed, the plans are impressive, in-line with smart growth initiatives, and spot on in creating a walkable, shopable, inviting downtown, sans sprawl and that big box store wall that cuts the community off from its residential, suburban roots.

True, we've seen renderings before -- in places like Elmont, West Hempstead, and points east -- with little to show for them on Main Street but for that Facade Improvement sign hailing Murray and the Town Board. Still, if the plans lay out as advertised -- along the very avenue of thinking we've envisioned and called for of our town's planners -- Grand Avenue could be grand, indeed.

Time will tell, of course, and all of us understand that even the best laid plans of Hempstead Town have a habit of going astray. But let's not kill the goose before the egg is laid.

"The remake of downtown Baldwin will be a victory for everyone," concluded Murray. "Shoppers will enjoy a great destination, workers will benefit from construction jobs and long-term employment, and neighbors will see home values enhanced by a more vibrant and attractive downtown."

We certainly hope so!