DOWNTOWN RIVERHEAD  SUB ZONE The majority of the 61 acre downtown Riverhead sub zone lies within the boundaries of the Business Improvement District. The core of the downtown sub zone includes approximately 300,000 square feet of street level commercial space housing a mixture of retail, office, residential, service and quasi-public uses. There is approximately 40,000 square feet of vacant ground level retail space at this time. A more detailed inventory of the properties that lie within the sub zone can be found in both the East Main Street and Railroad Avenue Corridor Urban Renewal Plans. Encouraged uses in the Downtown designated zone areas are consistent with the permitted town zoning Tourism related uses such as cultural attractions, theaters, retail stores that are unique to the area, indoor public markets, art galleries, hotels/marinas/resorts, and residential/commercial mixed use, specialty food stores, and commercial projects committing to a significant capital investment or rehabilitation of currently vacant or blighted buildings. Businesses captive to a customer base for tourism will be targeted for certification. A Downtown Center Office District is also an element of the Downtown Riverhead Sub Zone. This district compliments the State Supreme Court and Suffolk County complex, adjacent to the sub zone area, by allowing a moderate-intensity mix of uses with ground floor offices and retail. Since these uses are considered inherent to the building of the court complex, they will not be encouraged with zone benefits. However, the Town of Riverhead is entertaining the private development of parking facilities to meet the needs of the complex in the Railroad Avenue portion of the sub zone such a project may be eligible for certification if combined as mixed use. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFCATION IN THE DOWNTOWN RIVERHEAD SUB ZONE DOWNTOWN RIVERHEAD * There is no minimum threshold for the zoning district DC 1 & 2 * Commercial real estate projects, such as mixed use residential must substantiate a minimum capital investment of $2,000,000. or more. * Only offices and professional space located on second floors will be eligible for certification. * Existing businesses in the zone seeking certification must project job creation of 5 or more employees and /or a capital investment of $50,000 or more. * Zone Board reserves the right to deny any application from a type of business that they deem as already saturating the surrounding zone area. * Eligibility for empire zone benefits in the 7 acre Riverside parcel is project specific. The remaining 2 acres are consistent with the Downtown Riverhead thresholds. Map Zoning Codes Our History | Empire Zone Benefits | Zone Beneficiaries | Zone Q & A | Request Information 200 Howell Ave • Riverhead, New York • P: 631.727.3200 • F: 631.727.6712