In Amagansett, A Space Divided

The space at 171 Main Street in Amagansett that for many years housed LaCarrubba’s clothing store and was most recently occupied by Flowers by Beth is being divided. 

Ille Arts, currently at 216A Main Street, will move into the westerly half of the two spaces on Jan. 1 and open in March. Joe and Sal LaCarrubba, the building’s owners, are in the process of selecting a tenant, from among several applicants, for the other half. 

“We’ve had quite a few inquiries in the past couple days,” Joe LaCarrubba said on Monday. “We’re still working on it,” he said of the interior modifications, “and will probably be done by the end of the month. We’ve already rented one side, but we’re quite fussy about who goes in there.” 

The LaCarrubbas’ decision to divide the retail space was serendipitous, said Sara De Luca, the director of Ille Arts. “I had been looking for a larger space,” possibly at Amagansett Square, she said on Monday. She learned that the LaCarrubbas’ building was to be divided and contacted them, “and we shook hands right away.”

The gallery’s new space will be nearly 1,300 square feet, with “incredible storage” in the basement, Ms. De Luca said. She described it as “a much better, more visible location, overlooking the square.” The move “made perfect sense and happened at the right time. I’m very excited about moving there.”