Help is on the way for families facing long nights at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, with Aurora Contractors tapped to build Suffolk County’s first Ronald McDonald House just steps from the medical center.
The Ronkonkoma-based firm is set to put up a roughly 60,000-square-foot, three-story house featuring 30 private family suites along with shared kitchens, playrooms and wellness areas. Construction is slated to begin in fall 2026, and the new house is expected to welcome families in late 2027, according to Aurora Contractors.
The company announced earlier this year that it had signed on with Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro to deliver the ground-up build, describing the project as both a major assignment and a personal one, given its history with the organization.
What the House Will Include
The new three-story facility is designed to feel more like a home than a hospital annex. It will offer 30 private bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, communal kitchens, a media center, children’s playrooms, a fitness center, meditation spaces and on-site laundry, all aimed at helping families stay close to their children while still handling basic daily life.
Ronald McDonald House Charities NY Metro lists the Stony Brook project as a roughly 60,000-square-foot house that will sit within walking distance of patient rooms at Stony Brook Children’s, so parents can get a few hours of rest without feeling far from the bedside.
Timeline and Site
Stony Brook is preparing a 2.5-acre parcel on its campus for the future house, with site work already underway ahead of the targeted fall 2026 construction start. The plan is to open the doors in late 2027, giving Long Island families a nearby place to stay during extended hospital stays.
The contract award and these timing details were reported by the New York Real Estate Journal.
Local Ties and Legacy
Aurora’s connection to Ronald McDonald House on Long Island goes back decades. The firm worked on the Long Island house built in the 1980s, and leadership has cast the Stony Brook project as something of a full-circle moment.
In a statement reported by the New York Real Estate Journal, company founder Frank Vero Sr. said that “to be invited back all these years later to build their next home is truly special.” Matthew Campo of Ronald McDonald House Charities added, “There is no one else we would rather have as a partner on this project.”
Funding and Community Impact
The Stony Brook house is part of a broader capital campaign that has already reached its fundraising goal, according to RMHC NY Metro. The aim is straightforward: help families avoid long commutes and exhausting back-and-forth drives while a child is hospitalized.
The charity also notes it has supported Stony Brook for more than a decade through in-hospital family rooms and programs that keep caregivers close to the bedside, offering some comfort in a setting where good news can feel in short supply.
For Aurora, headquartered in Ronkonkoma, the project extends a streak of regional institutional work and brings another large-scale build to Long Island. The firm says it will work with the design team and Ronald McDonald House Charities to deliver a warm, family-focused facility intended to keep patients and their loved ones close when they need each other most.
