30 years. 375,000 children. Don't let the Town take our building.

The Long Island Science Center has served East End children and families for 30 years. We purchased our building at 111 East Main Street in 2020 — years before the Town Square redevelopment was designed — because we believed in the future of downtown Riverhead.

Since then, we have invested in plans, engineering, roof repairs, and the permitting process to advance the year-round science museum and education center we have been building for the East End. The project is supported by $3.5 million in committed public grants tied directly to this site, and was named as a downtown anchor in the Town's successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative application. Our design is complete — and beautiful.

We are ready to build.

The Long Island Science Center's five-year growth plan includes a year-round science museum serving East End children and families, Career Pathways for the East End workforce, lifelong learning programs for adults, new visitor activity supporting Main Street businesses, and a permanent educational and cultural anchor for downtown Riverhead. We're proud of it. We're happy to share it with the public. What is the Town's plan? "General municipal purposes."

A licensed engineering report confirms the building is structurally sound. In April, a 92-page documentation package was formally filed with the Town. The Town's Stop Work Order from August 2024 has prevented standard repair and improvement work from moving forward — and the resulting conditions are now being cited as justification for a taking. You cannot delay a project and then cite that delay as justification to take the property.

This should alarm every property owner on the East End. If the Town can take a 30-year nonprofit's building, no East End home or business is safe.

An eminent domain action could result in years of litigation, substantial taxpayer expense, and the loss of $3.5 million in committed public grant funding tied to this site — funding intended to support education, year-round economic revitalization, and public benefit in downtown Riverhead.

We respectfully ask the Riverhead Town Board to:

1. Clearly state the intended public use for 111 East Main Street before advancing any eminent domain action on May 20, so the community can evaluate the proposal based on a transparent public plan.
2. Review the Long Island Science Center's submitted plans, engineering documentation, and five-year growth strategy before making any final decision regarding the future of this beloved community institution.
3. Meet directly with the institution to explore a collaborative path forward that preserves public investment, supports downtown revitalization, and serves East End families.
4. Reconsider the proposed eminent domain action and support a constructive path forward for the future of downtown Riverhead.
   Sign this petition. Stand with the Long Island Science Center. Let's build it.