$100,000m plan for LI complex.

Developer, Rexcorp, and Long Island Destination Group recently turned the corner in the race that they have been driving against other companies to create their EPCAL Centre, a $100,000 million recreation complex that would include an 80,000 seat professional racetrack on 755 acres of former Navy land in Riverhead, Long Island.

The developers presented a proposal to the town of Riverhead last week for their complex, which would include equestrian stables, a minor league hockey park, a hotel, a private country club and a water slide park. The town agreed to let the developers continue to develop their vision, pitting the team against Stewart International Marketing's "Snow Valley," a 50 story indoor ski resort, in the race to secure the town's contract.

"At the work session yesterday, we determined that while the EPCAL Project is an aggressive, ambitious and intriguing project, but that has not precluded the board from unanimously asking for more detailed discussion because we do have a strong interest in the project," said Phil Cardinale, supervisor of town of Riverhead.

The developers have been asked to provide more detailed information on several aspects of their proposed project, including its compliance with local zoning laws, visitor access and the developments effect on traffic patterns, and the technical specifics of creating the racetrack.

The ski mountain proposal is still in the running,

"It is on the back burner for the moment but the town board is expecting it will be resubmitted at a later time. The group is currently firming up their team and undertaking a feasibility analysis of the tourism market," said Andrea Lohneiss, director for the Community Development Agency of the Town of Riverhead.

The developers were two in a handful who had responded to an RFP issued by the Town of Riverhead in 2005, seven years after the Navy gave a 2900 acre parcel of land to them. The 755 acres in question was mostly formerly airfields and tarmac originally used to test Grumman planes.

"On this land we are looking for a balanced piece of property that integrates industrial, recreational, and open space and will generate jobs and tax revenue," Lonheiss said. Michael Mannetta, partner of the Spector Group, the architectural firm handling the project is confident their design strokes a balance between rural space and entertainment facilities which will provide a great opportunity to generate money desperately needed on the east end of Long Island

The project will keep 66% of the site as a green area replanting many of the fields and pine barrens that had gone fallow or been destroyed while in use by the Navy, while keeping one airstrip running alongside the project intact where millionaires can fly their Leer jets and equestrians can transport their horses, according to Mannetta.

The project also includes over 500 housing units, which would require some modification of the cities zoning laws which currently only allow for 54 units of housing, according to Lohneiss The housing would be transitory, utilizing some kind of "fractional ownership" such as timeshares or an independent leasing agency.

The town has requested more information on fractional ownership.

Visitors will be charged "a very nice fee" to enter the country club on which they may drive their Lambouginis and Bentleys down a European style private motor course.

The lower budget visitor may choose to visit the raceway village to watch a demolition derby, or another local race such as the Long Island 200. One of the architects goals is to create a forum where major events can be held that would generate the kind of audience and revenue as large scale events in other places such as the Hampton Classic, according to Mannetta. "The project will keep the character of the East end intact while blending 365 day per year recreational complexes in a prime location that has traditionally been underutilized for events on the scale that we can provide with this massive amount of acreage," Mannetta said.