The once extravagant William K. Vanderbilt Estate, Idle Hour, has been an eyesore to the community since Dowling College closed its doors nine years ago. Plagued by vandals and delinquent activity, the once architectural jewel of Gilded Age Estates has been a burden to the surrounding community and remained unutilized until recently.
The Idle Hour Neighborhood Watch has worked out a deal between the vacant estate’s property manager, George Lederer, and the Suffolk County Police Department to utilize the property for Emergency Service training. The County’s SWAT team and K-9 units will use the current structures, former classrooms, and offices to better prepare for various situational crises.
“What I think was lacking in the past was a degree of cooperation that we’ve now been able to establish between the owners and the community,” Lederer said in a press statement.
“During COVID, Mercury [a security firm] stopped hiring security, and the property became a target for vandalism,” explained David Chan, a member of Idle Hour Neighborhood Watch and also a candidate for the Islip Town Council in the November 4 election. “There is significant damage – broken walls, and original doors and light fixtures have been stolen.”
Chan further added that the new property manager has cleaned up the grounds and some of the damage in the mansion.
“We [Idle Hour Neighborhood Watch] were able to approach Suffolk County Special Services, who used the property in the past but stopped because of extensive vandalism. The new property manager [Lederer] agreed to allow the use of the grounds for training at no cost to the County, provided the County gives advance notice of their use.”
They will also have access to all the remaining Dowling buildings.
“It is a win-win for the community because we have a law enforcement presence and a win for the county police because they can train for an active shooting scenario,” Chan continued. The mansion is set up as classrooms. It is not perfect, but it is better than what it was. We have open communication with the property manager, who does communicate with the owners, so we have come a long way since all these issues started… We would like the town to help facilitate a sale, so something can come in better than what it is. It can’t stay like this forever… The way it is now is not the way it should stay. I do understand that there is only so much they [Town of Islip] can do; it is privately owned property. They have to keep the pressure on the owners to keep it maintained within the legal perimeters.”
Potential long-term plans hit a snag
In 2023, Suffolk County Legislator Anthony Piccirillo (Republican, 8th Legislative District) proposed that Suffolk County purchase the abandoned 25-acre Dowling College campus and sent formal letters in June 2023 to Mercury, expressing interest in buying the property. In a press statement from his office, when asked about the funds to purchase the property in June of 2023, they replied, “Financing for the purchase would come from the county land preservation funds and state open space protection bonds.”
“You need a willing seller,” Legislator Piccirillo stated in an interview with Great South Bay News (GSBN) on the progress of a potential county purchase. “We wrote a letter of intent, and if they responded, we would come and appraise the property and then give them an offer. They have not answered our letter of intent, which could be a no. It is private property at the end of the day. Not being a willing seller does not allow us to access the funds or to start the ball rolling.”
GSBN reached out to Islip Councilman James O’Connor for his thoughts on Legislator Piccirillo’s attempts to facilitate a potential purchase of the property. In response, O’Connor’s office replied via email:
“Legislator Piccirillo is still trying to find the funds for the County to buy the Island Hills golf course property [in Sayville]. So, I am surprised the County could afford to buy Island Hills and Dowling. Where is the money coming from, and what does the County intend to do with these properties after they buy them? I applaud Legislator Piccirillo for his enthusiasm, his creativity, and his efforts to solve very real problems in the communities he represents. But until I see more and learn more, I will not comment and offer false hope to the residents.”
