Industrial Space, Hockey Arena Planned for Dowling Property

The former Dowling College property in Shirley will be repurposed under a plan that includes new industrial space and the gift of a new hockey arena and refurbished sports field complex to Brookhaven Town. The proposal was detailed at Thursday’s meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mastics and Shirley where the reception was generally positive, considering its economic and recreational benefits.

The college aviation center adjacent to Brookhaven Calabro Airport has been dormant since 2016 when the college lost its accreditation due to declining enrollment and financial difficulties. They had built athletic fields and a dorm, which will be demolished to make room for three new industrial buildings under the new plan. An existing hanger used by Dowling will be used with the goal of creating a total of about 653,000 square feet of usable space.

The $150 million effort is being pursued by Hampshire Venture Properties, a family-owned New Jersey firm that specializes in industrial development, according to Chris Badger, the project’s manager. Spaces as small as 30,000 square feet will be available, and expected tenants include plumbing, electric and other supply distributors, logistics firms, and contractors. The complex, east of William Floyd Parkway, will have its own sewage treatment plant and is expected to create about 276 construction jobs and 150 full-time positions once it’s in operation.

The Hanson Family, now in its fourth generation in the construction business, built the nation’s first industrial complex of this kind at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport in the 1930s, Badger said, adding, “This is our first major project on Long Island, and we want to do it right.” He noted that the new hockey arena and renovated sports fields, a 30-acre complex, will be given to the town. “The hockey rink and athletic fields are a great attribute; they separate the project from other industrial projects.” The two rinks will have seating for up to 2,000 spectators and feature a concession area.

Industrial building proposed for the former Dowling College property in Shirley. Hampshire Venture Properties

The new hockey arena proposed as part of the Dowling College property development that will be gifted to Brookhaven Town. Hampshire Venture Properties

“This is a win-win for the area,” said Chamber President Frank Montanez, noting the economic and recreational benefits of the project. He said he will discuss it with the chamber membership and hold a vote on a potential letter of support. Some members voiced concern over the traffic the development will create and carefully reviewed the setbacks from the residential area to the north of the property, which shares its borders with the airport runway and is near the Forge River sewer plant and the town’s solar energy array. According to a traffic engineer representing the developer, an expanded entrance with turning lanes and a traffic light built as part of the Dowling expansion is expected to be adequate to handle the traffic generated by the industrial space, estimated at about six trucks per hour. The athletic usage will be serviced by a separate entrance off Flower Hill Drive, the engineer pointed out. Existing greenspace will be maintained and the buildings will not be viewable from the parkway. Solar generation is not part of the existing design, but the buildings will be “solar ready” the representative noted, adding that Amazon had previously used the space for its operations.

New Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig discusses plans for the former Dowling property with members of the Chamber of Commerce. File Photo

According to Matthew P. Scheiner of R&M Engineering, the new sewer plant will handle about 36,000 gallons per day and be contained in an enclosed facility. Treated water will be discharged back into the ground, similar to the nearby Forge River plant, which is designed to handle 500,000 gallons a day. The upper part of the aquifer where the treated effluent will be discharged is not used for drinking water, Scheiner pointed out. The plant is not currently planned to service residential homes, but that could be a future possibility, he said. Chris Kent, representing Hampshire Properties through the law firm of Farrell Fritz, said the facility currently has 705 parking spaces, and they will be looking to the town to approve that amount rather than create additional stalls.

One of the buildings located on the property of the former Dowling College Campus in Shirley. u/whitemike40 | Reddit

Attending the meeting was Brookhaven Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig, who said she looks forward to hearing more about the project at a hearing on February 22. “We will see how the community responds,” she said, adding, “It’s something I believe I will support.” The project requires zone changes from the town board and site plan approval. If all goes well during the approval process, the construction will be complete in about two years.