Vision Meeting for Parrish Building Postponed

Due to the lingering effects of Tropical Storm Irene, Southampton Village's meeting on the new vision for the building has been postponed to Thursday.

The public event was originally planned for Tuesday evening. It will now start at 5 p.m. Thursday at the .

The museum will vacate the village-owned facility on Jobs Lane next year when the Parrish moves to a new building in Water Mill.

Mayor Mark Epley, the and Webb Management Consultants will present the results of a “visioning process,” which included a community survey that sought feedback on what residents and others wanted to see happen at the building. The process also included one-on-one interviews, focus groups and conversations with leaders from other cultural institutions, according to a statement issued to the press.

The leaders of the town hall-style meeting will also discuss the plans for the future use of the building — a new tenant called The Southampton Center of the Arts — and the planned Southampton Village Arts District, including the , Southampton Cultural Center and other landmarks. After the presentation, the floor will open for a Q&A.

"Southampton has the rare opportunity to restore and reinvent this historic property by creating a dynamic multi-disciplinary arts facility in the center of the village," Epley said in the statement announcing the town hall meeting. "We view this as a vital, hundred-year decision and are committed to cultural use for this important village-owned landmark and its surrounding grounds."

The Parrish is a draw for visitors and residents alike to downtown Southampton, and village officials fear its absence will be a detriment to the businesses that rely on the foot traffic the attraction creates. The hope is that the next tenant of the building will bring in just as many tourists to the business district as the Parrish has, if not more.

Promoters promised the Southampton Center of the Arts will bring “the best of local, New York City and international visual and performing arts as well as unique educational programming to the center of Southampton Village.”