The Farmingdale Shopping Plaza, located at Merritts Road and Hempstead Turnpike, has begun its $2,000,000 facelift. The shopping center owners have worked with Ron Craig, our Building Department Superintendent, to assure that all codes and regulations are met. In addition to the new façade, the parking lot will be completely redone, adding 37 new parking spaces, improving drainage and the traffic flow pattern. The entrances and exits on both Merritts Road and Hempstead Turnpike will also see changes that should make it easier to get in and out of the center.

The new owners have been working very closely with the village board to assure that the new look fits in with the décor of our community. They have agreed to include ornamental lighting that will match the current lighting in the village. The unsightly cement tower that rises above the existing shopping center will be transformed into a beautiful new clock tower that will match the "turn of the century" style clocks currently in our village. All retail signage will now be uniform. They have also contracted with local landscaper, John Iaboni to landscape the area, again to match the look of our village entrance areas.

They will be adding an additional 2,600 sq. ft. retail area next to the current bagel store. They hope to attract a national retail chain store to "anchor" the center. At the current owner's request, our Village Code Enforcement is now enforcing all parking regulations such as handicap and fire zone enforcement and will continue to do so.

When the dust clears and all is said and done, the shopping center will present a beautiful first impression for visitors entering our village. This project is a shining example of how we can work with our local businesses and developers to carefully expand and improve our community while keeping with our current aesthetic values.