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Community Corner

Windmill Lane Storefront, Apartments Sit Vacant [Empty in Southampton]

Building "uninhabitable," says real estate agent, until some major work is done.

Located at 16 Windmill Ln. in Southampton Village, the storefront that most recently housed catering business is starting to become overrun by vines.

In fact, the village has declared the building uninhabitable until some major work is done to it, according to the real estate broker, Morley Quatroche Jr. of .

Before Thyme & Again was there, the storefront was a hair salon run by the owner of the building, James Roller, who lived in the attached house, Quatroche said on Wednesday. Roller has since moved into a nursing home and put the property up for sale.

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The house is on a foundation, and dates back to the late 1920s, Quatroche said, while the attached commercial space, on a concrete slab, appears to be a later addition.

The building did not have a certificate of occupancy when it was going up for sale about two years ago, so village inspectors were brought in, he said.  That's when it was declared uninhabitable; however, a certificate of occupancy was granted assuming the building could be fixed up.

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“There were actually three apartments in the building, but we couldn’t establish that as fact, so the village only gave us two apartments and two retail shops," Quatroche said. Also, "wet" uses, such as a deli or cafe, will need Suffolk County Department of Health Services approval to be reestablished, he added.

The property, about a tenth of an acre, is listed for $899,000.

The price was originally more than $1 million, but there was a price chop about six months ago. Still, no buyers have bit.

Quatroche said the fact that the building either needs to be knocked down or completely renovated has deterred potential investors.

The building is just a couple doors down from the , a vacant property for sale that village officials have called an eyesore and considered condemning.

What would you like to see happen with 16 Windmill Lane? What business or residential uses would you like to see there? Leave a comment below and share you thoughts.

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