The following is both an interview conducted by Shari Einhorn for NewsdayTV, and the accompanying Newsday article by Carl MacGowan that was published in the Monday, July 4th, 2022 edition of the paper on page A2. You can read the entire original piece here, and watch the segment here.
…There also are questions about whether Ronkonkoma’s roads and water and sewage infrastructure can handle such a large project without a major overhaul, and whether the Federal Aviation Administration and state and local agencies will approve a new northern air terminal at MacArthur.
“There’s a big what if? Can they move the terminal right next to the Long Island Rail Road?” Richard Murdocco, a Stony Brook University development and planning professor, told Newsday. “If they can’t, the project goes bust. … MacArthur Airport isn’t exactly a hotbed of aeronautical activity at this time.”
American Airlines, one of four carriers serving MacArthur, announced on June 20 it will eliminate its two daily flights from the airport as of Sept. 7, citing pilot shortages.
Murdocco also questioned whether the convention center would draw enough business, noting studies showing a downturn in the national convention industry over the past two decades.
Where’s the data?” Murdocco said. “Where’s the demand?”