Progress toward a major distribution center for retailer Trader Joe’s may increase the chances of one or more of the budget-gourmet stores finally reaching the East End of Long Island, NY. To date, most parts of the “Hamptons” are 40 or more miles from the nearest outlet. Other economical shopping choices are also in short supply, aggravating affordability issues on both the south and north forks of the island, where service workers find it challenging to live. This, in turn, contributes to traffic nightmares as commuters use likewise limited highways to access East End work. So today’s update from Newsday on approvals and construction of nearly a million square feet of facilities on 66 acres in the Suffolk County village of Islandia will raise hopes that more stores can be profitably accommodated. The site of the project is also a throwback to the late 1900s on Long Island, when it housed headquarters of Computer Associates, a tech giant of the day and major regional employer. The company’s CEO, Charles Wang, was in the early 2000s the majority owner of the Islanders franchise in the National Hockey League.
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/islandia-trader-joes-distribution-site-i4kvz30h
Tim W. Ferguson 