Town Set To Purchase Derelict Former Swamp Nightclub Property

EAST HAMPTON, NY — After years of contention over a derelict property in Wainscott that was once the location of the former Swamp nightclub, East Hampton Town is set to purchase the parcel.

According to East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, the town will close on the property, located on Montauk Highway, on Tuesday.

The purchase price of the 1.1-acre commercially- zoned property is $2.1 million, town officials said.

A $300,000 contribution toward the purchase price was provided by the not-for-profit organization, Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation, Inc., which raised the funds from neighbors in the community.

The Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation is expected to present the check to the town at a closing scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Town Hall.

“We appreciate the generous support of the Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation, and neighbors, who contributed to make this purchase possible, and to enable us to preserve this important property at the gateway to Wainscott," Van Scoyoc said.

Next, the town will develop a management plan for the property that will address the open space values and potential use of the land as part of the soon-to-be-finalized Wainscott hamlet study and plan, a release from Van Scoyoc's office said.

The derelict buildings on the property will be demolished and removed.

The blighted parcel has been an eyesore and a source of contention for years.

Back in 2012, an application for a car wash was pitched for the parcel, also the site of the old Star Room property and SWA, as well as the Swamp, located just west of the Wainscott Shopping Village.

For years, the site was a bane to neighbors, who complained about noise and traffic. The club has been closed for about 10 years.

Resident Diana Weir spoke out about the property in 2012: "First of all it's an eyesore right now," she said. "It has been a very contentious site because it was a disco, a bar and a restaurant. That traffic was horrendous," she said, adding that limos used to line the streets.

Patch file photo by Taylor Vecsey.