The cherry trees along Westbury Avenue in Carle Place stopped blooming some time ago. Their roots kept growing, though, and in places they have pushed the sidewalk slabs up at an angle. Kristin Biggin, vice president of the Carle Place Civic Association, told Long Island Press that this makes the walk hazardous for pedestrians.
Those slabs are now being torn out. The Town of North Hempstead said construction has begun on a 0.7-mile reconstruction of Westbury Avenue from Jamaica Boulevard to Carle Road, and that it is expected to be finished in 2027, weather permitting. For years the project was held up because two different governments own the corridor. It moved once they agreed to share the cost, and a federal spending deadline added pressure to get it done.
A Road and a Sidewalk With Different Owners
Westbury Avenue is two pieces of public property side by side. Biggin explained to Long Island Press that the town owns the sidewalks and Nassau County owns the street. The town collects a sidewalk tax for repairs, but that money doesn't stretch to a full renovation of the corridor.
The Melville Chamber of Commerce put the delay plainly. Each owner waited on the other, and nothing moved until the two agreed to share the cost. In the meantime the civic association kept asking. Civic president Dominick D'Alonzo told Long Island Press that the group and others had been pushing for improvements since 2003.
The association has been doing this kind of work for a long time. A January 2026 Long Island Press profile lists its recent efforts:
- keeping a full train station in Carle Place, with community input in the final design
- securing facade and storefront upgrades for local businesses
- working with Nassau County and the town on rebuilding Westbury Avenue
So the avenue project didn't come out of nowhere. It is the last big item on a list the civic group has been working through for about twenty years.
The Money and the Clock Attached to It
Part of the town's share comes from federal pandemic relief. The town's release says the joint project with Nassau County is supported by more than $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated to the town. In its groundbreaking coverage, the Melville Chamber reported that town officials put the county's share at close to $2.5 million and the town's at more than $1 million. News 12 Long Island called it a $3 million revitalization.
The relief money came with a clock. "The reason why we need to be expeditious with this plan is that the ARPA money has to be spent by the end of 2026," Biggin told Long Island Press. "So this needs to be done."
Here is how the schedule ran:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Aug. 11, 2026 | North Hempstead Town Board awards the contract to Stasi General Contracting for $3,737,276 |
| Late August 2026 | D'Alonzo expects groundbreaking "right after Labor Day, give or take" |
| Sept. 29, 2026 | Town announces construction has begun |
| 2027 | Expected completion, weather permitting |
The Melville Chamber reported that Stasi's office is on Maple Avenue in Westbury, a few minutes from the job. The same night, the board hired NV5 of Melville to inspect and administer the work for up to $298,621. The chamber also gave a target finish of May 2027. The town's own release says only "2027."
Work that started in late September and is expected to end in 2027 runs straight through the holiday season.
What the Avenue Gets When the Cones Come Down
The town lists the work as repaving, curb improvements, drainage upgrades, replacement sidewalks and improved pedestrian crossings. Commissioner of Public Works Kristin Seleski said in the release that some trees are being removed and that "we'll be planting far more than we're removing." She also mentioned better accessibility and a decorative brick border along the new sidewalk. According to Long Island Press, the civic association expects new LED streetlights and lampposts as well, and sidewalks that are easier to use for people with disabilities.
Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said in the town's announcement that the project "will not only make the roadway wider and safer, but it's also going to deliver an overall better experience for the people who use this downtown area every day."
Some pieces haven't been made public. As of the August reporting, the town had not released a rendering. Biggin said the supervisor had shared plans with the civic association in the spring. No source reviewed for this piece includes a block-by-block schedule, a parking plan, or a count of the trees being replaced.
For day-to-day use, the town's guidance is the best available. Sections of sidewalk and roadway will close temporarily as work moves along the avenue, and access to homes and businesses is to stay open throughout. Drivers should expect occasional lane closures, alternating traffic, temporary detours and some parking restrictions.
The Tables Behind the Work Zone
The civic association pushed for this project because Westbury Avenue serves as the hamlet's downtown. "[The improvements] will hopefully bring more people, pedestrian traffic and more shoppers to our downtown area," Biggin told Long Island Press. These are the addresses inside the construction zone:
- Mauro Ristorante, 465 Westbury Avenue. The restaurant's site takes reservations and takeout orders. It says the restaurant comes from the family that brought Carle Place Cardinali Bakery.
- Domino's, 501 Westbury Avenue. Its store page lists current hours, delivery and carryout.
- Gino's of Carle Place Pizzeria & Restaurant, 510 Westbury Avenue. The civic association has held its holiday tree lighting at this address.
- Rialto Restaurant, 588 Westbury Avenue. It appears on the Westbury-Carle Place Chamber of Commerce restaurant page.
The town has committed to keeping entrances accessible during the work.
A little north of the avenue, the retail map changed this month too. Savers opened at 260 Voice Road in Voice Road Plaza on Thursday, Oct. 1. Newsday reported that the thrift store fills a space of nearly 23,000 square feet that Big Lots left in 2024, and that it is the chain's eighth Long Island location. A storefront empty since 2024 is open again just as the main strip goes under construction.
A Holiday Season on a Street Under Repair
The construction overlaps with the civic association's calendar, and the overlap shows best on the avenue itself. The association's events include a holiday tree lighting, holiday window decorating, movie night, trunk-or-treat, a community fun run, a cleanup day and periodic carnivals, Long Island Press reported in January.
Two of those traditions take place on Westbury Avenue. In 2024, holiday window painting ran along the avenue from Nov. 29 through Dec. 7, and the Christmas tree lighting was held at 510 Westbury Avenue on Dec. 8. The association's 2025 newsletter calendar followed the same pattern: Trunk or Treat at Carle Place High School on Oct. 25, window decorating on Westbury Avenue from Nov. 28 through Dec. 6, and the tree lighting at Gino's on Dec. 7.
No 2026 dates had been posted for any of these events in the sources reviewed for this piece. On the earlier calendars, the window painting takes place in late November and early December, which falls well inside the construction period now underway.
D'Alonzo described the group's purpose in Long Island Press: "We advocate for the community but also put on fun events for the community." The association has upwards of 350 members a year and a 12-member volunteer executive board. Its general meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Carle Place High School. The next one falls on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
If you own on or near the avenue and want to know how the project's timing might affect a sale, a purchase or a renovation over the next year, Joanne Hantzopoulos is happy to talk it through with you. Let's Connect.