Well-known LI developer could return

Daily Point

Could RXR land MacArthur redevelopment?

In choosing a preferred candidate to remake Long Island MacArthur Airport, the Town of Islip’s selection committee went with a familiar name.

The committee chose RXR, the longtime real estate development company led by Scott Rechler, as its favored pick to redevelop and upgrade the airport property, The Point has learned. RXR partnered with Avports, a Virginia-based airport developer, manager and investor, in its bid to handle the MacArthur redevelopment and the airport’s future.

Sources familiar with the situation cautioned that it’s still early — and that no agreement has been signed.

But the pick marks the potential return of RXR to Long Island, after years in which the developer had turned much of its attention off the Island, particularly New York City.

It also foreshadows the possibility that RXR could become involved in the broader property known as the Ronkonkoma Hub. Islip Town’s continued effort to upgrade the town-owned airport comes as Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine just released a request for proposals to build on the adjacent county property that lies between the airport and Ronkonkoma’s Long Island Rail Road station.

This may seem like a full-circle moment in the Island’s history of attempted development. After all, RXR spent years trying to develop the land around Nassau Coliseum known as the Nassau Hub, both with and without the late Charles Wang, the former owner of the New York Islanders. But Town of Hempstead politics sunk those efforts.

In Islip, too, the political dynamic remains a factor, as town board members have been feuding with Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation told The Point that RXR representatives have met with four of the five Islip town board members and hope to meet councilwoman DawnMarie Kuhn later this month.

Some town officials, including Carpenter, have advocated that the terminal be moved to the north of the airport property so it can be accessed directly from the LIRR station. But there’s been pushback from some town board members and others. On Monday, during an Islip Town board meeting, Councilman John Lorenzo successfully sought the removal of a $250,000 appropriation for consultants related to the proposed terminal move. While suggesting that economic development at the site could be "generational for that area," Lorenzo said he wanted to wait to see what happened with the Suffolk County request before moving forward.

RXR representatives, meanwhile, have made it clear to town officials and others that they are not wedded to a singular concept for the airport, or its location, The Point has learned.

RXR, one source said, is "hoping to put forward a plan that is responsive to the needs of the board and the community." But, the source said, company officials also recognize that they have to garner the support of board members, who’ve been reticent to move ahead.

"It’s the start of a conversation and there’s a lot of due diligence that needs to be done on what’s best for the airport," the source said. "RXR knows this doesn’t advance without unanimous support, and that includes the town board."

The proposed effort could involve more than upgrading the existing terminal, or building a new one. With Avports'  involvement, there’s also the potential for expanding flights. The goal, another source said, is to balance the notion of maintaining MacArthur as a neighborhood airport while providing an opportunity to add more flights.

This wouldn’t be the first time RXR got into the airport business, as the company is part of the partnership that’s building the new Terminal 6 at Kennedy Airport. And Avports isn’t new to Long Island, either, as it currently manages Republic Airport in Farmingdale.

Sources told The Point that the selection — and the effort to start getting board members’ support, combined with Suffolk County’s own efforts on its portion of the land, are key steps.

"It sends a signal to the county that the town is serious, and the county is now sending a signal to the town that they are somewhat serious," another source familiar with the situation told The Point. "Two months ago, we had neither of those things. Now at least we have something happening."

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

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Final Point

Will a roll-call voice vote give Schaffer an edge in Suffolk Democratic chair fight?

Kathryn Casey Quigley, the Southold Town Democratic Party chair who is challenging longtime Suffolk chair Richard Schaffer, is casting doubt on the election process two months before the vote.

In an Instagram reel this week, Casey Quigley said the roll-call method of voting for party chair could lead to committee members feeling pressured to publicly avow their support for Schaffer out of fear of retaliation if they don’t.

In the post, the Southold party leader said the vote is “usually” a roll-call voice vote, meaning committee members will be on record stating who they support. Casey Quigley said “hundreds” of committee members representing over $9 million in salaries owe jobs or appointments to Schaffer. “… these folks are expected to publicly state their vote in front of this, by all accounts, very powerful figure who has a great deal of authority over them and has already shown he’s not afraid to use that kind of leverage,” Casey Quigley says in the video.

It’s like filing a complaint against your boss with your boss.

“People have told me they’re scared,” Casey Quigley told The Point. “A lot of these folks, you know, have something to lose at the hands of Rich Schaffer, and that does not set us up for a fair vote … I am not accusing any committee members themselves of any foul play. I’m saying that they should have the right to make a decision that isn’t in front of the person who’s responsible for their job.”

Jerzy Kruszlinski, a Schaffer backer, said in a text to The Point that the vote will be fair and open.

“The weighted voting system established by the bylaws of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee is not optional, and neither are the procedures required to correctly administer it,” Kruszlinski wrote. “The most transparent and reliable way to accurately account for those weighted votes is a roll call, which creates a clear record of how each election district’s voting strength is allocated and counted.”

Kruszlinski added that if Casey Quigley is interested in being party leader, she should work to get Democrats elected. “It’s deeply troubling that Kathryn is spending her time digging through people’s salaries and their personal lives instead of focusing on electing Democrats, as Team Schaffer has been and continues to be,” he wrote. “Unlike Kathryn, we trust all committee members to vote their conscience and stand behind their vote. That’s how representative democracy is supposed to work.”

Casey Quigley also has an issue with the date of the vote for party chair, which is yet to be determined. The vote will occur sometime between Sept. 17 and Oct. 6, and Casey Quigley said Schaffer will get to determine when the vote is with only three days prior notification.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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