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Nearly $1.4 million in state grant money is headed to downtown Riverhead for its ambitious riverfront amphitheater project, part of a larger makeover for the downtown with a planned town square as its focal point.
This news, announced Tuesday by Governor Kathy Hochul, follows on the heels of $24 million in grants the town was awarded by the federal government last year, all to be directed at the downtown.
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Not only that, Riverhead is receiving another $187,000 from the state to help support internal updates at The Suffolk theater — and to jumpstart an apartments project planned for the building’s rear.
The state grant money is coming through the governor’s Pro-Housing Communities Initiative, which delivers up to $650 million in discretionary funding each year to 273 municipalities that the state has certified as pro-housing communities.
“The Town of Riverhead will create a riverfront amphitheater and public park, enriching the community with diverse activities and performances,” the state grant allocation reads. “Due to their location below the flood plain and increasing flood risks from climate change, the buildings will be relocated to the northern end of the property and elevated on new foundations.
“The southern end, with a 13-foot slope, will be converted into tiered seating with a stage and bandshell near the Peconic River. This design leverages the natural slope to protect the buildings while creating a flood barrier.”
The amphitheater has been described as a crucial component to the planned town square that Riverhead is looking to get started on right in the heart of the downtown.
(See the rendering by LVF Landscape Architects above, with The Suffolk theater in the background.)
The full list of state grant recipients is available here.
“On behalf of the Riverhead Town Board and our residents, I want to express our utmost appreciation to Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, as well as New York State Homes and Community Renewal for their continued support of our town’s economic development revitalization efforts,” said Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard.
“Without the state’s strong partnership, Downtown Riverhead would not be on the precipice of an economic resurgence.”
The Suffolk
As for the $187,000 being set aside for the theater, the town will use that money to “upgrade its water infrastructure to support the Suffolk theater’s expansion and accompanying apartment development in downtown Riverhead,’ the grant allocation reads.
The theater owners are also looking to add a green room, dressing rooms, and an orchestra pit.
