Q and A: John Burke, CEO of Vintage Square Group

The Vintage Square Group, a Riverhead-based development firm, . The plans include expanding their original vision for the area around Railroad Avenue and Court Street as well as a new development on the south side of Main Street across from the Suffolk Theatre.

Riverhead Patch sat down with Vintage Square Group CEO John Burke to talk about the new development plans, bringing nightlife to Riverhead, how many jobs this will add, and using the Peconic River to draw in visitors.

Riverhead Patch: The "Vintage Village at the Peconic" development is a major new addition to your original proposal for the Vintage Square project. What will that area look like?

John Burke: We're going to create a village green, not just for the people who live there but for the public at large, to enhance use of the riverfront. The entrances to the stores will be on main street but the main entrances will be on the river side. So we want people to gather in the village green, there'll be sitting areas, I have aspirations to put in a band shell for outdoor concerts … When people walk out of the Suffolk Theatre they want to be able to look across the street and see the river, that's why it's open. We have vistas open at either end and in the middle. You know how you can't see the river from the west side of main street? Now you'll be able to see it. We're talking about Norman Rockwell Americana. [laughs]

RP: Talk a bit about the apartments in the project's proposed housing. Will there be any work force or low-income housing?

JB: There'll be no low-income housing. We have work-force housing, it's a different category. We don't know what percentage that will be right now. The apartments will be for young professionals, nurses, police officers. It'll be for middle-income people, the working force.

RP: You had Stephanie Wiggins of the AFL-CIO Housing Development Trust here in Riverhead when you made your announcement. How are they involved in the project?

JB: The AFL-CIO is the end investor in it. They're backing us because we're 100 percent [for] union jobs … This is the first time that this $4 billion financial fund has ever come to Long Island, Suffolk County for a project. The people of Riverhead should realize this is the greatest opportunity for growth and advancement, to refurbish and revitalize the entire downtown area from Railroad Avenue and the Court Street area to the south side of Main Street.

RP: So what will this cost the average taxpayer?

JB: The taxpayer doesn't pay a cent. This would be a bond from the town supported by taxes from the businesses that move into Vintage Square.

RP: Speaking of support, you had three members of the Town Council here on Tuesday to see the unveiling of your plan.

JB: Jim Wooten has been my biggest advocate and he's kept his word … and kept his confidentiality in the best interest for the town of Riverhead. Frankly, I proud of him as a councilman and as my friend too. I'm proud of all of [the Town Board] they were terrific. And also County Legislator Ed Romaine has been here since day one.

RP: What would getting this project built mean for Riverhead residents?

JB: What it would mean is you could take a guy … a young professional, living in an apartment downtown Riverhead, a young professional starting out in life, and he can live in the Vintage Square, a transit-oriented community where he can go out at night, go down from the apartment and go to a restaurant, go to the multiplex theater, get on a San Francisco-style trolley driving around town, walk along Main Street along with a lot of other people. Try to envision in your mind's eye a really beautiful village like Huntington with people all the time seven nights a week. That's one of the things we aspire to.

RP: You think you can bring that much nightlife to Riverhead?

JB: Do you know how many restaurants there are in Huntington? 60. You think we can fit 30 down here? I think so. Here's what we have in Riverhead that no one else does. Riverhead is the only town that has a river running parallel to its Main Street. Let's start using it … We're going to complete this project. We're going to get this done.