Board Allocates Funding For Veterans Housing

The planned Columbia Terrace development appears on an overhead map of the town’s Huntington Station revitalization project.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The Huntington Town Board approved Tuesday two resolutions that advanced plans for an affordable veteran housing community in Huntington Station.

Both resolutions addressed the Columbia Terrace project, a 14-unit affordable housing condominium development for eligible United States military veterans on 1 acre near the corner of Railroad Street and Lowndes Avenue in Huntington Station.

The project is included as part of the town’s ongoing plans for the revitalization of Huntington Station.

The first resolution, sponsored by Supervisor Chad Lupinacci and seconded by Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, approved the allocation of $2 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Columbia Terrace Development Fund. The resolution was approved unanimously.

This distinct fund, which was established based on the recommendation of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, will be used by the Huntington Community Development Agency to cover the construction costs of the Columbia Terrace project.

The project, which the town estimates could cost as much as $3.5 million to complete, was also awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Empire State Development Corporation.

The second approved resolution greenlit Bayport-based construction company Lipsky Enterprises, Inc.’s $2.94-million bid to build the Columbia Terrace development. Lipsky submitted the last month the lowest bid for the construction project.

That resolution, sponsored by Lupinacci and seconded by Councilman Ed Smyth, was passed unanimously by board members during their session as the CDA’s board of directors.

“One resolution allowed us to fund the project, and the other was to execute the contract with the builder,” Lupinacci said after the meeting.

“We are looking forward to the Columbia Terrace project, and I think it has been a long time coming to provide some great housing opportunities for our veterans.”

Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year, according to town documents.