Work to begin on fire-damaged Sag Harbor Cinema
A rendering of the proposed reconstruction of the Sag Harbor Cinema. Credit: Sagharborcinema.org
The Sag Harbor Cinema will rise again as work to restore the fire-damaged theater will kick off with a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Construction will begin on foundation work to restore the facade of the building at 90 Main St., which was destroyed during the Dec. 16, 2016, fire.
The nonprofit Sag Harbor Partnership purchased the building for $8 million earlier this year from former owner Gerald Mallow, but will still need to raise $6 million to rebuild.
The partnership had planned to begin work after raising $3 million by a July 1 goal, but decided to move forward after raising just $1.5 million by June to mitigate the impact on Main Street during the summer, according to a news release.
The foundation is expected to be completed by July 1 and work on the back of the building will follow.
The old theater, which had seating for about 470, will be divided into two theaters, with seating for about 230 in one and 100 in the other. The second floor will be home to a 49-seat screening room, which could also be used as a classroom.
The building is expected to be completed by summer 2019, according to the foundation.
Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.
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