Village of Hempstead Brownfield Opportunity Area

The Community Development Agency of the Village of Hempstead retained AKRF to lead the Brownfield Opportunity Area Step 2 nomination study for its downtown area. The Village faces a number of challenges, including a shortage in housing, a high share of undocumented immigrants, and a large portion of low-income households. However, it also offers many assets, such as exceptional access to the Long Island Rail Road, an intermodal transfer facility that provides a connection between the county’s bus lines and the regional rail network, and vacant and underutilized parcels, suitable for redevelopment. Our work included a market and community assessment using various data sources including the U.S. Census and private data companies, and we drafted community development priorities for the Village and identified potential properties that could generate catalytic development.