Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Suffolk County officials held a press event on Monday demanding that New York State finalize a critical land transfer for a rail yard project in Port Jefferson Station, as a final June 30 deadline approaches for the deal. The Suffolk County Landbank Corporation, which owns the 126-acre former Lawrence Aviation site, entered into a contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2023 to sell a 40-acre portion of the property for $10 to be used for a rail yard that would enable electrification of the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson Branch, according to county officials.
However, the state’s Department of Transportation has held up the transfer because of a strip of land it owns at the site that had been designated for a future roadway project. A walking trail on a greenway would need to be moved to accommodate the MTA yard, which would encroach on the DOT’s right-of-way, creating the current impasse.
The deadline for the 40-acre transfer to the MTA was originally set for June 30, 2024, and has been extended twice - first to December 31, 2024, and then to June 30, 2025, which county officials say is now the final deadline for the deal to proceed. Despite overwhelming community support for the MTA project, county officials expressed frustration that the land transfer has yet to close.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine has been actively pushing for the transfer, writing a letter to the DOT regional director in November 2024 that remains unanswered, according to a county spokesperson. “Railroad modernization of the Port Jefferson branch has been discussed since the late 1980s,” Romaine said via email. “The potential rail yard site is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to facilitate modernization of the branch. Modernization of the Port Jefferson branch enhances service and allows all residents and businesses from Huntington to Port Jefferson to enjoy the benefits of reliable, frequent service to two Manhattan terminals.”
Romaine emphasized that modernization would particularly benefit Stony Brook University, which he described as “the largest single-site employer in Suffolk County.” State Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay, who represents District 4 including the Port Jefferson area, has introduced legislation directing the DOT to grant the necessary easement to the MTA. “The MTA’s acquisition of this land for the future modernization and electrification of the Port Jefferson LIRR line is crucial for local residents’ quality of life, business communities’ further successes, and connectivity to the Stony Brook University and hospital campus,” Kassay said via email.
Location & Road Context
The disputed property is the former Lawrence Aviation site in Port Jefferson Station, a 126-acre parcel that was previously designated as a Superfund site but has since been remediated. The location is strategically important for LIRR infrastructure, as the proposed rail yard would facilitate the long-discussed electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch, extending electrified service from Huntington to Port Jefferson.
The site is being developed in multiple phases, with a 36-acre portion being transformed into a solar energy installation and the Town of Brookhaven acquiring 40 acres to preserve as open space. The remaining 40 acres designated for the MTA rail yard represents a critical piece of transportation infrastructure that officials say would modernize service along the entire branch.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
When contacted about the stalemate, a DOT spokesperson provided a measured response: “The New York State Department of Transportation has been engaged in conversations with the MTA and other stakeholders regarding potential future uses of a portion of the former Lawrence Aviation property that the department acquired for use in a future highway project. We have no further comment at this time.” An MTA spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
The county has had “multiple discussions with the DOT and requested documents that formed the basis of DOT’s concerns about granting an easement over the greenway” that runs through the site, according to county officials, though those documents have not been provided.