B roll, Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Unveils the Next Phase of the $1.2 Billion Transit oriented Hub Station Yards, Creating More Than 1,400 Housing[...]

B-roll, Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Unveils the Next Phase of the $1.2 Billion Transit-oriented Hub Station Yards, Creating More Than 1,400 Housing Units on Long Island

Governor Kathy Hochul today celebrated the grand opening of Station Yards, a state-of-the-art, mixed-use development in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County on Long Island. Station Yards, also known as the Ronkonkoma Hub, is a transformative transit-oriented development spanning 53 acres around the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station. The $1.2 billion project, led by TRITEC Real Estate Company, is revitalizing the area by integrating housing, office and retail spaces, creating a dynamic urban center that caters to modern living and working needs. This development showcases New York State's commitment to fostering sustainable economic growth, enhancing community vibrancy and setting new standards for smart, transit-oriented urban planning across Long Island and beyond.

B-ROLL: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you. I'm going to do this. I saw the speaking program. Anybody here not speak yet? Okay, it seemed like you had quite a showing here, but how could you not? This is a magnificent day. This day propels us into the future. No longer are we talking about wouldn't it be great if we could take this abandoned land and that it's prime real estate right next to an incredible transit station and bring it back to life.

I don't think even back when we were doing the groundbreaking and Ed Romaine and I were just talking about, we were together at the groundbreaking many many years ago when I was Lieutenant Governor, I don't think we could have foreseen the scale of this project and the sense of possibility that everyone experiences when they walk this property.

And you realize as I hold this out as an example to others across the state. Who say, "No, transit oriented development sounds a little scary to me. We really don't want to go there. We don't really know." Come to this community. Talk to the residents who now have a home here. Talk to the business owners whose businesses are just flourishing.

And talk to every other community who says, we wish we had done that as well. We did it here first. And I want to thank great, great leaders that have been part of this. And Kevin and I spoke about this when he was Head of the Long Island Association. That's where we got to really deepen our relationship as I was chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils.

And we did cover so many ground breakings and ribbon cuttings. And don't be dismissive of them, people. Those are very important because if we don't do it, it doesn't happen. So, we're there with our ribbons and our shovels and really proud of what we've done there. Another great partner, is Kevin is now my chair of Empire State Development.

Hope Knight, let's give her a round of applause as well, because she is the CEO, the President of Empire State Development. She and Kevin are this dynamic duo that are really representing the state and particularly Long Island, it seems very, very well here. So thanks. Thanks to both of you. I mentioned County Executive Ed Romaine.

He is a gift to this community. He loves this area. He loves the whole county. And having been a local official, 14 years as a council member, about another seven as a county clerk. I understand how people who are so passionate about their communities can really have a dramatic impact on not just today, but the future as well.

And he has been a great ally of mine. We've worked together through some real challenges, getting FEMA declarations just recently that we're going to be able to get the help to rebuild after a thousand year flooding event that I was here for.

And I'll never forget I came out to tour the property on my birthday, and he shows up with this huge bouquet of flowers. So, this guy knows how to get what he wants for his county. That's an A plus, Ed. A plus. But I've enjoyed our relationship.

Our Senators Murray and Mattera, I want to thank both of you for your support in Albany and all those who worked hard to make this happen.

And of course, one of the most incredible families, the Coughlan family. And TRITEC must be just popular with absolute visionaries. You know, because others have come by and seen properties like this before, but who else had that sense of opportunity and possibility but all of you? And to continue doing that here and other places in our state, I'm grateful for that.

I hope you have a huge victory lap, run around these buildings and just savor what this really means to this community and to me as your Governor. This is what success looks like and feels like when people will go boldly where no man or woman have gone before. And I'm willing to put up with that, with the years of zonings and traffic safety and environmental reviews and I did all this as a town board member so I know exactly what I'm talking about.

And you broke down all the obstacles and won over the hearts and minds of an entire community. This is your day. I want to give a round of applause to the entire family, TRITEC Corporation. Please take a round of applause.

You've heard all about this project. You know how many housing units, there's how many people have been employed here. You know how big it is. It's extraordinary in scale, $1.2 billion.1,400 housing units. My gosh. If we had this in more places, we would not have the dynamic which we're suffering from right now. Where other communities have not had the ambition or the desire to create space so people who grew up here could live near their own children and grandchildren someday. As a result, our grandkids and kids are living in other states, namely our neighbors, Connecticut and New Jersey. You know why? Not because they've got better weather. They don't have lower taxes. I'm not even saying their Governors are better, although I like their Governors. They met the demand of their community by building more housing in creative ways. And I'm talking about the whole scale-luxury housing, middle income housing, middle class houses. Whatever your community needed, just build more, because you're building more capacity for people who want to live in this community, this magnificent community with great education, outstanding, K through 12, incredible, incredible academic institutions like Stony Brook, that is one of our signature universities now, a flagship university, as well as all the others here.

This is a place that has an exceptional quality of life and all the assets we have here. And yet, and yet, without projects like these, people have to pack up and go somewhere else. To me, that is a tragedy. And I'm going to continue working with our local officials as a partner who's been in their shoes to continue making projects like this come to life. I don't want New York to stagnate. I want us to blossom and grow and be prosperous and be that destination people always wanted it to be. And I know we can do this, working together. Let's just always say, this is what imagination looks like, this is what possibility is, this is what success is all about.

And I'm so proud to be with all of you here today. This truly warms my heart, as your Governor, to know that we did the impossible. We dreamed the impossible dream and that dream came true today. Thank you very much everybody. Congratulations on an amazing project. Thank you.

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