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Huntington Arts Center won't make due date

BY JESSE COZZETTI | lidesk@newsday.com

6:56 PM EDT, September 2, 2008

Photos released at the time of the ceremonial groundbreaking and the original plans for the center.

Although a large sign on the empty lot promises "Completion Fall of 2008," the Huntington Arts Education Center in Huntington Station will not become a reality at least until spring, more than two years after the town announced the building plans.

"There is a sense of frustration because people want to see it moving," said Kathy Giamo of the Giamo Group, a real estate developer involved in building the center.

Giamo, with Ron Parr of the Parr Organization and Don Einsidler of Einsidler Management, partnered with the town and its Economic Development Corporation to create a retail and cultural center that will provide an exhibition gallery, classrooms, studios and rehearsal space. The town held a ceremonial groundbreaking in October 2006 at the corner of Northridge Street and New York Avenue, just north of the Huntington LIRR station.

Giamo/Einsidler Parr Development agreed to build the $2.5-million, 15,000-square-foot Northridge Cultural and Retail Center at no cost to the town. The ground floor will be taken up by retail stores.

The planning process and rising construction costs were cited for the delay.

After the town awarded the bid, planning took 18 months. "We have been going back and forth with the Huntington business development and conforming to what they want," Giamo said.

Rob Ripp, chairman of the town's Economic Development Council, said the project had to go through "design modifications due to the rising cost of steel, bricks and all other building material."

Added Giamo, "Every cost in this project has escalated in the last two years." The cost of construction materials alone has risen 30 percent, she said.

"We are finding ways to work through the 30 percent increase and now we are completing the leasing of the project," Giamo said.

Ron Parr said the higher cost required a redesign of the building. "We're very close to making this happen," he said.

Giamo said she is anticipating that construction will begin in the next two months.