North Fork Express frustrated as Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency seeks to move their bus depot out

A decades-old Ronkonkoma business says it is being pushed out by the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency to make room for a multimillion-dollar residential and business project.

North Fork Express Vice President Mark Mensch says their company's bus depot is being moved through eminent domain.

"We were caught by surprise - we weren't on the agenda," Mensch says.

The Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency has voted to condemn the property, which would pave the way for a nearly $1 billion construction project.

Mensch says his family-owned business was never a part of the discussion, but they should have been.

"That's not the way things should be done, should be about us sitting down at the table with Tritec to negotiate a price the government shouldn't even be in the room," Mensch says.

He says Tritec, the developer of the proposed project, made the decision to leverage the government against his company and use the process of eminent domain to drive the price down.

Town officials say they have gotten support for the project because they say it could help revitalize the area.

But Mensch says a potential relocation could have devastating effects on his business and the people they serve.

"We'll have to relocate, and we'll have to travel further and that's gonna use more fuel and it's gonna affect our profit margins and our ability to stay in business," Mensch says.

The North Fork Express serves more than a dozen school districts across Long Island so the decision could have a big impact.

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