Overview
The Town of Babylon, located in southwestern Suffolk County, New York, includes 10 hamlets and three villages. As part of its revitalization efforts, the Town launched the Wyandanch Rising Phase II initiative, also known as the South East Quadrant project, to transform the hamlet of Wyandanch through a transit-oriented, mixed-use redevelopment program.
The project area extends along the east side of Straight Path, from Commonwealth Drive north of Long Island Avenue, east to Doe Street, south to Commonwealth Drive, and west back to Straight Path. LiRo-Hill was retained to provide engineering services for infrastructure improvements, including new access roads, public open spaces, and plazas.
About the Project
The project was designed to support development in the South East Quadrant by creating new roads and building lots to replace existing single-family residential lots. The plan includes retail and commercial space, residential development, public open space, and two new roadways. Amenities within the public space include a dog park, playground, community garden, and plaza. LiRo-Hill provided design, construction administration, and part-time construction inspection services in support of the developer’s Master Plan.
LiRo-Hill designed the new access roads and worked with the Town to achieve the Master Plan’s traffic circulation goals. The civil team developed the roadway design, including horizontal and vertical alignments, grading, and new sanitary sewer and drainage systems. Extensive coordination with water, electric, and telecommunications providers was required to install the infrastructure needed to support future utility demands. As part of this effort, overhead electrical and telecommunications lines were relocated underground. The MEP team designed site lighting and plumbing for the public right-of-way and open space areas while coordinating with utility companies to ensure seamless integration.
Before construction began, the civil team coordinated the removal and abandonment of existing utilities across the nearly 14-acre site, which included buildings, abandoned roads, existing roads and easements planned for abandonment. This required extensive coordination to define removal and abandonment limits, determine how the new phased utility infrastructure would tie into the existing systems, and minimize potential impacts to the project schedule. During construction, LiRo-Hill supported the project through periodic inspections and coordination with the Town’s contractor, the developer, the developer’s contractor, and water, electric, and telecommunications companies to help keep the project on schedule.
Outcome
This collaborative effort reduced delays, improved construction efficiency, and advanced the successful redevelopment of the South East Quadrant. Working alongside other transit-oriented development projects near the Wyandanch LIRR Station, the project has helped transform the area by supporting higher-density development, enhancing public spaces, and improving the quality of life for residents.
