Huntington Station -- Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and Town Council Members Mark Cuthbertson, Susan A. Berland and Tracey A. Edwards joined with the Huntington Housing Authority August 21 in dedicating the community room at the Gateway Gardens public housing project in honor of former Authority chairman Malcolm L. Tillim.
Mr. Tillim served as chairman for about five years, from 2001through 2005. During his tenure, he led the effort to build the Millennium Hills development in Melville, one of two communities run under the auspices of the Authority. Millennium Hills is a mixed development (part ownership, part rental) that provides safe, decent and affordable housing for low-to-moderate income families in the Town. Gateway Gardens, which the Authority owns, provides federally-subsidized public housing for low-income residents.
Gateway Gardens recently underwent a $5 million renovation, including new exterior lighting, new kitchens and baths, new boilers, siding, appliances, windows and conversion from oil to gas heat. Among the areas undergoing renovation was the community room.
At the dedication ceremony, current Housing Authority Chairman Robert Fonti noted that naming the community room after Mr. Tillim was a fitting tribute, not only because of his role at the Authority but also because of his service to the community over more than half a century. Mr. Tillim is a former deputy Town attorney and chairman of the Suffolk County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. In addition to practicing law, he became a builder and real estate developer responsible for many developments, including Huntington Country Farms, one of the earliest condominium communities in the Town.
Supervisor Petrone and Council Members Cuthbertson, Berland and Edwards all spoke about how they had sought out Mr. Tillim for advice and guidance in a number of areas over the years and of his efforts on behalf of Town residents.