The Bay Street Theater announced today that it has purchased the shops at West Water Street, near its current location, where it will construct a new building with multiple theaters, spaces for new-work development, education facilities, outdoor performance spaces, and public spaces. The space is of course right next to John Steinbeck Waterfront Park, creating an exciting community resource.
“The creation of a permanent home for Bay Street has long been a goal for all of us at the organization, and I’m thrilled that, along with the Friends of Bay Street, we are able to build upon the work of our visionary founders Sybil Christopher, Emma Walton Hamilton, and Stephen Hamilton, to make that dream a reality,” said Tracy Mitchell, executive director of Bay Street Theater, in a statement. “I’m incredibly grateful to Bay Street Theater’s chairman, Steven Todrys, and the entire board of trustees for their support and leadership at this incredible juncture as we enhance the artistic contributions we make to the field and the home we provide to our wonderful community.”
For this project, Friends of Bay Street & Sag Harbor Redevelopment, a separate nonprofit organization, was created to oversee the land acquisition, financing, fundraising, design, and overall site development. And don’t worry, Slurpee lovers, Friends of Bay Street is working with the owners of the small businesses currently in the building relocate to new sites in town.
Friends of Bay Street currently plan to break ground in mid-2021, with completion anticipated in 2023. And don’t worry–for those of us who love the intimacy of Bay Street’s current theater stage, the new mainstage will be similar. Yet the facility’s flexibility will allow Bay Street to offer even more original works, co-productions, and partnerships. More details will be announced in the coming months.
“Today is a foundational next step in the history and ongoing trajectory of Bay Street Theater as well as for the Sag Harbor community,” said Adam Potter, Friends of Bay Street founder and chairman, in a statement. “The location of the new complex will offer residents and visitors access to the revitalized waterfront and even more space for productions and community offerings, expanding the theatre as a hub for engagement and creativity. Not only is the project an investment in the future of both Sag Harbor and nonprofit theatre, it allows Bay Street Theater to expand its role as a major cultural, civic, and economic resource in the region.”
- 22 Long Island Avenue, Sag Harbor [Elliman]
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