NYIT Selling Most Of Its Central Islip Campus
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The New York Institute of Technology is selling most of its college campus in Central Islip.
The area near the federal court complex and Long Island Ducks baseball stadium has been called an eyesore by many residents, with the buildings left boarded up and empty for a decade and a half.
For nearly 100 years it was a state hospital before being taken over by NYIT. Now, its 100 acres are being sold.
So what will happen to the land? Some residents have a few ideas.
"I would like to see a community center, like an indoor-outdoor kind of facility that actually benefits our children," Central Islip homeowner Roc Romain said.
Romain and his wife, Leigh-Ann, are little league coaches at the town park across from the abandoned buildings. They and their neighbors are anxious about the future.
"These buildings, they are an eyesore," Leigh-Ann said. "They are also a golden opportunity to make something better for Central Islip."
Eric Alexander from Vision Long Island says the building used to house a psychiatric facility.
"There's been some redevelopment at the site, there has been housing and some commercial space, some retail space also," he said. "Now these remaining acres can be housing, some public space, maybe some job development, but coordinated with the local community and with the town."
For their part, the school says they look forward to taking part in the "revitalization" of Central Islip.
"We are currently in contract with three developers for 106 acres of our former campus, in line with our strategy to seek credible developers to build there and benefit Central Islip and its residents," NYIT said in a statement sent to CBS2. "For the last several years, NYIT, a nonprofit institution, has maintained a dialogue with elected officials, community leaders, civic associations and others on the disposition of our property in Central Islip."
Additionally, NYIT says they plan to maintain their Family Health Care Center nearby as well as dedicate a parcel of the 100-plus acre plot to the Central Islip Union Free School District.
So far, the Town of Islip hasn't received any applications from developers. The land is partially zoned for education, so any other use would have to be approved by town officials.
