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Southampton Village officials are toying with the idea of placing a semi-permanent, open-air, tentlike structure on the grounds of the future Southampton Center of the Arts, as part of a continued effort to draw the public, as well as renowned artists, onto the village-owned grounds along Jobs Lane.
Representatives from the Rockwell Group, a Manhattan-based firm, presented conceptual plans for such a structure during a Village Board meeting Tuesday night. The group envisions how to use space and is working on a pro bono basis for the village, Mayor Mark Epley said.
Officials offered no price tag for the plan, noting it is still very preliminary.
According to Rockwell representatives, a circular, pavilion-like structure could be used as a theater or orchestra performance space, film, dance or even an ice-skating rink. It could also be moved around to different sites on the grounds based on the season, they said.
Trustee Bonnie Cannon said she liked the multifunctional aspect and that anything on those grounds should be “upscale.”
Village resident Susan Stevenson raised the issue of whether the noise generated from performances might carry into residential neighborhoods and local restaurants.
With the Parrish Art Museum expected to vacate the site at 25 Jobs Lane in the fall, the village has been planning for the Southampton Center of the Arts, a multidisciplinary artistic venue, to take its place. The village grounds have already undergone some sprucing up, with a long-dormant fountain put back in function again last summer, for example.
“We’re trying to be creative,” Mr. Epley said, adding that he thinks using the outdoor space could bring people from all over the world to the Jobs Lane grounds.
Colleen Reynolds on Jan 25, 2012