Waterfront Fund: Price tag to renovate Galley Ho — $385K
Elaine Romagnoli, a First Street resident and former owner of Legends Restaurant in New Suffolk, said the NSWF should consider forgoing a liquor license.
“If you put a restaurant in there, with a bar in particular, you’re asking for trouble,” she said as the crowd erupted into applause.
Audience members overwhelmingly wanted to know why the group applied for a 66-seat restaurant when it has repeatedly stated that the Galley Ho likely won’t be used that way.
“Is this an exercise in futility if we’re already going for a 66-seat restaurant?” one resident asked.
“No, it’s not,” Ms. Schnitzler said. “There are options.”
She explained that the NSWF wants to receive Planning Board approval for a 66-seat restaurant in case it ever decides — down the road — that it’s a good idea.
“We would be remiss if we took away all the value upon this property,” she said. “If Legends [Restaurant] decides to retire, there might be a time, 15 years later, that we decide we do want [a 66-seat restaurant].”
Right now, NSWF board member Lauren Grant reiterated, the organization “doesn’t necessarily want” a large restaurant.
“We’d rather have a snack bar or café,” she said. “We’d rather have something that will bring in a little bit of income and still keep the building available for community use.”
The nonprofit does not want to manage the Galley Ho on a daily basis once it’s renovated, Ms. Schnitzler said. Instead, NSWF will create a Request for Proposal using feedback from roundtable discussions to secure a commercial tenant. The RFP will include strict guidelines about the restaurant’s ambience, menu, beverages, prices, music, noise and hours, she said. Once created, it will be posted on the group’s website and circulated to potential candidates.
When asked what she learned from the meeting following the lengthy presentation, Ms. McCloskey paused before answering.
“The board, although they’re being slightly more transparent — because they’ve been forced to be, I think — is clearly on a mission,” she said.
When asked to clarify what that mission was, Ms. McCloskey replied without hesitation that she felt the board’s focus was building a 66-seat restaurant.
“I will wait to see whether they actually listen to the community,” she said.
