An interview with Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island

“Downtowns” and “Main Street USA” are 100-year-old concepts that can be easily lost in the modern shuffle. But while the personalities of downtown districts and main street markets have changed, their importance hasn’t. These lessons are paramount to Eric Alexander, the longtime director of Vision Long Island and founder of the Long Island Main Street Alliance. Through 25 years of planning and lobbying efforts, the innovative influencer has boosted more than 150 Long Island infrastructure projects, always keeping his eye – and the eyes of local stakeholders – on important smart-growth principles. In today’s episode, Eric joins Spark host Gregory Zeller to discuss how his mission has changed (and hasn’t) over a quarter century – and the dire need for “the Long Island elite” to get with the program.