Riverhead awarded state grants for amphitheater, infrastructure for Suffolk Theater expansion

Riverhead Town has received $1.4 million from the state for its riverfront amphitheater project, and $187,000 for water infrastructure upgrades for the expansion of the Suffolk Theater, the state announced Tuesday morning. 

The grant will help close a funding gap for the amphitheater project, which is estimated to cost $4.8 million; that amount factors in both the amphitheater’s construction cost and the necessary relocation of buildings on the south side of the East End Arts campus on East Main Street, where the town plans to site the amphitheater. 

“On Long Island, in Riverhead, they’re creating a new amphitheater and public park along the water, and that’ll help protect against flooding as well,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference while announcing a flurry of grant awards. “Think about how you can build resiliency in these projects — not just the housing — but you have to make sure that these housing is going to be protected against Mother Nature while providing new space for community events.”

The amphitheater has received less public funding than other aspects of the town square development project; it previously received $200,000 from the state, while the master developer of the town square is anticipated to contribute another $150,000 to the project, according to town officials. The town has received two large grants — through the U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE and state Downtown Revitalization Initiative programs — to fund other aspects of its public revitalization projects in the downtown area, including a multi-story parking garage, new streetscape improvements and new public spaces.

The grant was distributed through the state’s pro-housing communities initiative. Riverhead declared itself a pro-housing community last July, opening it up to the state’s new grant initiatives and pledging to implement initiatives to expand its housing stock. 

Dawn Thomas, the head of the town’s economic development and grant writing efforts, told the Town Board in November that the development of the town square could start as soon as this summer. However, benchmarks for the project, most prominently a public-private partnership agreement with the designated master developer of the town square, have not been completed in the schedule outlined by Thomas in November.

The $187,000 grant for water infrastructure upgrades will go towards the expansion of the historic Suffolk Theater — the privately owned performing arts center in the heart of downtown Riverhead. 

The Suffolk Theater received site plan approval to construct a five-story mixed-use addition to the back of the theater and to expand its stage and backstage in 2023, but has not started any construction.  

Bob Castaldi, the Suffolk Theater’s owner, is part of a group of downtown developers who have pushed back against the Riverhead Water District requiring payment for infrastructure improvements the district says are needed to serve new development. 

Castaldi said in a phone call today that he was glad for the grant. “I’m happy for us and the town together,” he said.

Purchasing and installing the water infrastructure for the Suffolk Theater’s project costs roughly $650,000, according to water district superintendent Frank Mancini. A large amount of those funds is necessary to replace an old water pipe in the area to serve the development and installation of fire hydrants. Mancini said town officials have discussed covering the cost of some of those infrastructure improvements because they would also benefit the multi-story parking garage in the parking lot adjacent to the theater. 

The Suffolk Theater is also a recipient of $2 million of the $10 million given to the town by the state through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative for its expansion project. 

Victor Prusinowski, a permit expediter who works for Castaldi, said he is close to obtaining the permits required to obtain a building permit from the town to start the project. The expansion of the theater will happen in phases, with the first phase being the expansion of the stage and backstage, and the second phase being the construction of 28 apartments behind the theater, Prusinowski said. He said he hopes to start construction on the project in the next six months.