A shop featuring local businesses is planned for a new welcome center along the Long Island Expressway.
Taste NY Long Island Welcome Center is coming to the eastbound rest stop at exit 51 in Dix Hills, which the state Department of Transportation is expanding in order to accommodate 135 parking spaces and restrooms, according to a press release issued last Tuesday.
Department of Transportation commissioner Matthew Driscoll said in a statement he believes the center will promote Long Island towns, villages and events, as well as provide travellers with information about regionally-produced goods.
“All the users of the Long Island Expressway deserve a safe and secure facility to rest and refresh before continuing their journey,” he said. “An inviting welcome center creates safer travel for all while also supporting the economic growth and vitality of Long Island.”
Taste NY is a part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s tourism promotion program that focuses on expanding New York’s food and beverage industry while bolstering agribusiness across the state. The project launched in 2013 and is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets. It has allowed local producers to showcase their goods and products at large public events, too, such as the Great New York State Fair.
In 2014, Southold’s own One Woman Wines & Vineyards was awarded a bid to manage the first Taste NY shop in Grand Central Terminal.
When asked when the new Taste NY shop will be built, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said Tuesday a construction timeline will be announced in the coming weeks.
