A growing food desert has taken hold in Coram, Middle Island, and Gordon Heights, where the recent closures of Stop & Shop and King Kullen have left thousands of residents with limited access to fresh food. With only a small independent grocer remaining along the Route 25 corridor, officials say the communities are now in crisis.
“This has left a gaping hole in the entire area,” said Senator Dean Murray, who is working to get the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to formally designate the region as a food desert. “You’ve got Coram—the largest hamlet in all of Brookhaven Town—and Middle Island and Gordon Heights, and there’s one small grocery store in between. People used to walk to these supermarkets. Now, some have no access to fresh food at all.”
Murray said he’s reaching out to supermarket executives and exploring potential state incentives to bring new food retailers into the area. “I’m confident that the free market, with a little help from government, will step up. This is a growing population center—prime territory for major supermarket chains.”
Residents say the store closures will hit working families, the elderly, and low-income residents especially hard.
“Where are people supposed to buy their food?” wondered civic activist Rosalie Hanson. “Not everyone can drive to Miller Place or Selden. If you just need a few things for dinner, it’s now a whole project. It’s not just inconvenient, it’s expensive. People will have to spend money on gas or Uber just to feed their kids.”
Hanson said communities like Gordon Heights, where many people don’t own cars, will suffer the most. “If someone needs formula or eggs, it shouldn’t cost them $30 in transportation just to get it.”
Senator Murray shot down the idea of government-run supermarkets as proposed by Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City. “It’s completely absurd to think politicians can run grocery stores without costing taxpayers a bundle and making the problem worse,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to working with private industry. “We can’t afford to drag our feet on this,” he said. “This is something we need to fix, and fast.”
“For now, the community waits with empty shopping carts,” Hanson noted.