Bonnie Michelle Cannon, the executive director of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, donned a hard hat on Saturday and pulled a plank of siding off the old farmhouse that was originally part of the center. The symbolic moment kicked off a nearly $3 million project to erect a new building for the ever-evolving child care program.
"It's a wonderful feeling," Ms. Cannon said on Monday. "There's an anxiety there because it's actually happening. You're a little fearful because what you asked for is actually happening, but it's an anxiety that I got over really quickly. Now that it's happening, the sky's the limit. This building is needed."
The approximately 7,000-square-foot facility will have a library, a computer room, a large multipurpose room for various classes and events, smaller classrooms for one-on-one tutoring, storage space and offices, and a wraparound porch. While it is being built, older children who normally use that space will instead use Southampton Town's senior citizens community center next door.
The old building dates back to 1902. It was donated in 1949 to establish a child care facility following a fire in a camp for migrant workers that claimed the lives of two children. Today the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center has three other buildings, a modern playground, and other amenities for children.
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who grew up in Sag Harbor, recalled playing basketball with friends from Bridgehampton at the child care center when he was young. He helped secure two state grants for the construction project, totaling $425,000.
"It's something I've seen firsthand for a long time, how important the center is for the community," he said this week. "The word that described the center in the beginning was safety, but now the word that describes it is opportunity. Safety is still a key word, but the center has given a hand up to so many students who needed a hand up in Bridgehampton, and has been a catalyst for them to be successful."
Money for the new building came largely from private donors, Ms. Cannon said. The center is still raising money to be able to outfit the building with state-of-the-art features on the inside. To do that, Ms. Cannon said, community members can buy bricks to be customized with their names and laid in a walkway that will weave through the six-acre campus.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew leaders from across the town, county, and state, including Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. No more than 50 people were there so that the event could adhere to Covid-19 social distancing and gathering guidelines.
"Out of tragedy, the child care center was a bright light, and in our current situation with the pandemic, the new center is another bright light and sign of renewal and hope," Mr. Thiele said.