Construction of the new aquatic and cultural spaces at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center is slated to be done by the end of June, according to Sarah Iudicone, president of the Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation. The date for the public opening, however, is still up in the air.
“We need to get a pool operator in there,” Ms. Iudicone said by phone Tuesday morning. “We will also need to hire and train employees.” The almost yearlong construction process has largely gone off without a hitch, according to Ms. Iudicone.
“We’ve been really fortunate, the team on site every day has been really wonderful. . . . The coordination on this project has been really smooth.” She also expressed gratitude for Island Structures Engineering and the work the company has done to keep the project moving.
The changes since the construction began last spring are staggering. The first dig for the new pool area in the Playhouse took place on Oct. 7 and now the tiling of the pool is complete, and the flooring in the pool area should be poured by the end of the week, Ms. Iudicone said.
The two new pools are a 32-by-33-foot shallow pool for instruction, recreation, and physical therapy, and a 25-yard, four-lane lap pool for training, instruction, and recreation.
Also, according to Scott DiBerardino, the project manager from Island Structures Engineering, the installation of the new elevator is about 60 percent completed. And the new upstairs event spaces are around 90 percent completed. The only remaining work to be done in that space is carpeting and finishing the light fixtures.
The tile for the new first-floor lobby is also done. The new lobby features stadium-style seating, stairs leading up to viewing windows of the pool deck, and then all the way up to the second floor. The large event space on the second floor can also be partitioned and split into three separate rooms as needed. And across the second floor are small offices and sitting areas around almost every corner of the new construction.
The $16.1 million project has been paid for with a combination of town money, New York State grants, and $8.25 million raised by the Montauk Playhouse Community Center Foundation. General contracting work has been done by Crossroads Construction, with electricians at M.R.J. industries, mechanical work by Boilermatic Welding Solutions, and the workers of Maccarone Plumbing fitting the pipes.
For Ms. Iudicone, seeing a finish line for the construction is a big win, but there is still progress to be made.
“As construction continues,” she said by email later on Tuesday, “the Playhouse Foundation is continuing to raise funds to outfit and furnish the newly completed spaces to prepare them for vibrant programming and services that will enhance the quality of life of all members of our community, for years to come.”
“We need our community to support and take ownership of this exciting project,” she continued, “to help it thrive, and to bring its promise from vision to full reality.”
