Imagine a 36,000 square-foot catering and dining hall in the heart of Jones Beach State Park for parties, weddings, business functions and dining. Well, world-renowned developer Donald Trump and Carlyle on the Green owner Steven Carl have.

At a press conference at Jones Beach on Thursday, Sept. 14, Trump and Carl announced a partnership whereby Trump will fund the new Trump On The Ocean catering facility to be built on the Jones Beach boardwalk and Carl will run it.

An exuberant New York State Parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro was all smiles as she called the project, which will take 18 months, "a win,-win for every single stakeholder that you can think of."

The restaurant and catering hall is said to be a $40 million project, although costs could increase beyond that. It will be located on state land and leased by the state to the developers.

Trump said he used to frequent Jones Beach with his friends and parents. "It really hasn't changed so much and I think that's what Steve [Carl] and I want to do. We want to make something so beautiful and so magnificent but not so much change," said the legendary real estate mogul.

Trump On The Ocean, as the restaurant and catering hall will be called, will replace the old Boardwalk Restaurant. The hall will be available to service parties for 100 to 1,400 guests. There will be a restaurant for the public and an outdoor dining section for beach-goers where bathing suits are perfectly acceptable. "We're looking to make this the finest banquet and dining facility anywhere in the world," Trump said.

Carl, an East Meadow native, said the Trump On The Ocean is a dream come true. Carl, who said he enjoyed the dining of the original Boardwalk Restaurant, answered the Request for Proposal to develop the site and won the bid. "When I set out two years ago, I had always looked at this as being a place that was totally underdeveloped and could be the place to have weddings, parties and corporate events," he said.

Carl then sought the help of Trump, who, he said, embraced the idea. Carl will bring the business experience he gained running Carlyle on the Green in Bethpage State Park to Jones Beach.

In response to whether the restaurant will cater to the upper class, Trump said the restaurant is going to appeal to everybody.

The project is receiving support from elected officials such as State Senator Charles Fuschillo, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman.

Murray, who points out that Jones Beach is located within the Town of Hempstead, said that she favors anything that can be done to improve the town.

Weitzman believes such a project will bring in additional revenue for the county. "We can expand the tax base by increasing the opportunity for recreation and tourism. This is a perfect opportunity to do that," he said.

One subject Trump refused to talk about was LIPA's plans for an offshore wind park at Jones Beach, which would affect the view from the Trump restaurant and catering hall.

While many local officials are supporting the plan, one, Nassau County Assessor Harvey Levinson, feels that the restaurant's owners should be paying property taxes on it. Because the restaurant will be located on state land, it will be exempt from property taxes. Levinson is calling for state lawmakers to pass legislation requiring the restaurant owners to pay property taxes as he noted that the Wantagh School District would gain an additional $1.4 million a year in property tax revenue.

"The practice of allowing for-profit entities to operate in public state parks without paying any property taxes must come to end," Levinson said. "Hopefully, the state lawmakers will make every effort to make sure that the Trump name is placed on a check made out to the Wantagh School District for his share of property taxes."