Arts Council Proposes Multidisciplinary Center

The mess hall at the former Boys Harbor summer camp, which is jointly owned by East Hampton Town and Suffolk County, would be a perfect place for a “multidisciplinary center” devoted to art, education, and recreation, according to the East Hampton Arts Council, which presented a proposal to the East Hampton Town Board on Tuesday.

The building could provide a venue for art exhibits, poetry readings, theater, music, dance performances, and other cultural activities, the proposal stated, becoming “an important community arts and nature center.”

The mess hall is the only building remaining on the 28-acre site on Springy Banks Road in East Hampton, the others having been in severe disrepair and demolished. But the mess hall, though in need of work, “is pretty well sound,” said Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc Tuesday. He has just formed an advisory committee charged with generating plans for town-owned properties for which various uses have been proposed, including Boys Harbor.

The council provided sketches and cost estimates for mess hall repairs, which it developed in consultation with several builders and architects. Between $750,000 and $1 million would be needed to restore the building and grounds, the group estimated. In addition, they said a $750,000 endowment for future maintenance is a goal.

Any proposal for the use of town-owned property should be tailored “to the broadest possible public use,” said Mr. Van Scoyoc, noting that the one presented by the council “falls within the parameter.”

However, questions of funding remain. The arts council has begun a capital campaign to raise money from private and corporate donors, organizations, and the community. “We look forward to having further discussions with your group and others,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said.