The Suffolk County/Town of Riverhead Zone History

The original intent of the Town of Riverhead and Suffolk County in preparing and submitting an application to the State of New York for Economic Development Zone designation was and remains under the Empire Zone Program, the creation of jobs and the generation of (property) tax base for the Town of Riverhead and the Riverhead Central School District. Under the criteria for new applicants in 1997, the Calverton Enterprise Park was eligible for EDZ designation solely on the basis of its prior use by a military contractor, the Grumman Corporation.

The Calverton Zone Application received approval in 1998

The Calverton Empire Zone, now known as the Suffolk County/Town of Riverhead Empire Zone (SC/TOR EZ) underwent a boundary revision in 2003 expanding the zone beyond the borders of the Town of Riverhead. The boundaries of the SC/TOR EZ now incorporate portions of Wyandanch in the Town of Babylon; Frances S. Gabreski Airport and portions of Riverside in the Town of Southampton; and portions of downtown Riverhead as well as the Enterprise Park at Calverton.

The Suffolk County/Town of Riverhead Empire Zone consists of 1280 acres of credits now designated within four geographic areas in the County:

Enterprise Park in Calverton -  Downtown Riverhead, 61 acres
Southampton - 1137 acres
9 Acres Riverside
Planned Industrial Park and Retail/Commercial Village
Project Specific
Planned Recreational Park Revitalization
48 Acres Gabreski Air Park
Business Incubator
Industrial Property with With tremendous infrastructure
Municipal Infrastructure

Wyandanch - 25 Acres
Retail/Commercial Downtown Revitalization

****Due to legislative changes, as of January 1, 2006 additional changes
will be made to the current boundaries of the zone.