Rechler seeks OK to expand East End plans

The developer of a proposed $43-million business district near Gabreski Airport in Westhampton has requested changes in its plans, including an increase in the size of a planned hotel, Southampton Town records show.

Rechler Equity Partners of Melville wants to build a three-story hotel instead of a previously approved two-story structure on the 49.7-acre site. Rechler also proposes to clear 2.7 acres of pine and oak woods, leaving 1.2 acres of undeveloped woodland.

Southampton Town records show Rechler has filed a request for "a maximum building height of three stories [43 feet] above finished grade as compared with the currently allowed two-story [35-foot] height above existing grade." The hotel would have 145 rooms.

County, town and development officials plan to gather at the site Friday to mark the completion of some infrastructure elements, including sewers and curbs. The county's name for the project is the Hampton Business District at Gabreski.

County Executive Steve Levy says the resulting development will be a "campuslike hub with elements including film production, biotech, small business incubators, and manufacturing and research and development operations across 433,000 square feet of space."

Construction is expected take about three years, with about half the project completed by January 2013 and the rest by June 2014.

Rechler estimated, in its Environmental Assessment Plan filed with the town, that 100 to 200 customers or visitors would visit each day and 800 people would work there. Construction will bring 90 jobs, and resulting development will employ about 800, Rechler said.