Southampton African American Museum Project Goes Back Out To Bid

The construction of the Southampton African American Museum will once again go out to bid next week, after work conducted from the previous contractor was found to be defective.

The work of the previous contractor, William Proefriedt of West Babylon, stopped when it was discovered he may have falsified his bid to restore the Pyrrhus Concer House in Southampton Village. Mr. Proefriedt faces felony criminal charges, and was removed from both projects — both are unfinished.

In September, the Southampton Town Board approved the additional spending of $19,500 to complete the SAAM project.

Brenda Simmons, the founder of SAAM, said in September that Mr. Proefriedt’s work has to be redone.

"In spite of my frustration with the whole ordeal, I'm encouraged that the project is now finally moving forward," she said on Monday. "In the meantime, SAAM has been continuing to plan for the future."

Even though the museum will be confined to a fairly small space, Ms. Simmons said, it will be a "Smart Place," and include some of the latest technology. Touch screens, holograms, virtual reality and augmented reality, she added, will all be used to "treasure the past, tend to the present and transform the future."

The specifications for the SAAM project will be available for contractors to review, starting on December 19. The bidding process will close on January 22, 2020, at 2 p.m., when all bids will be read aloud.