New Day Dawns For Historic Canoe Place Inn In Hampton Bays

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — After years of discussions and dreams among community members who hoped to see the iconic Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays rise again, a new chapter in the structure's storied history was launched Tuesday.

Rechler Equity Partners hosted a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony to mark the rebirth of the iconic CPI in Hampton Bays.

Elected officials including Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, members of the town board, and members of civic and community organizations who joined Rechler Equity Partners’ co-managing partners Gregg and Mitchell Rechler.

The Rechlers "memorialized the completion of a 12-year comprehensive approval process and the commencement of construction that will restore the current site to its original significance," according to a release from the town.

“This is a truly special day for the Rechler Equity team and the Hampton Bay residents who fought to ensure the Canoe Place Inn was saved,” said Mitchell Rechler, co-managing partner of Rechler Equity Partners. “Restoring the Inn to reflect its deep-rooted history as one of the Hamptons most beloved and attractive destinations is a great honor, and we don’t take this responsibility lightly. We’re proud to gather with the individuals that helped make this project a reality to usher in a new era for this transformative property and the greater Hampton Bays community.”

“Today represents an important day for the Canoe Place Inn, the Hampton Bays community and the East End’s economy,” said Gregg Rechler, co-managing partner of Rechler Equity Partners. “Restoring the Canoe Place Inn to the elegance and stature of the early-to-mid 1900s while incorporating more modern amenities, functionality and accommodations will once again make this venue a sought-after option for weddings, conferences and similar events.”

Schneiderman added that the community is excited to see the restoration of the historic Canoe Place Inn begin. “This iconic building will help rebuild the tourism economy in Hampton Bays and support local shops and restaurants.”

Located off of Sunrise Highway and west of the highway merge, the restored Canoe Place Inn will feature a 350-seat catering venue that will represent the largest event hall on the South Fork, town officials noted.

The restoration of the Inn will also include a 90 seat restaurant/tap room with additional outdoor seating for 120 guests, as well 20 guest room suites and five cottages that will offer additional accommodations for event guests and area tourists.

“We appreciate the Rechlers’ tenacity in finding a solution to restore the Canoe Place Inn and preserve this treasure in our community that will benefit all for decades to come,” said Brenda Berntson, President of the Hampton Bays Historical Society.

During the ceremony, Mitchell and Gregg Rechler also announced their operating partner, Arthur Backal of the Backal Hospitality Group, who will be running the day-to-day operations of the restored Canoe Place Inn.

“The Hampton Bays community is very important to the Canoe Place Inn and it’s why we are so mindful of making sure we do everything right and truly create something that is an ode to this location’s past,” Backal, principal of the Backal Hospitality Group, said.

He added that the concept is for a food and beverage program that reflects what the Hamptons represents, using local products as much as possible.

"Rather than being a seasonal hangout, we envision the Canoe Place Inn to be a year-round establishment that will attract visitors throughout the region and in turn provide a needed boost to local commerce," he said.

Also on Tuesday, Rechler Equity Partners held a groundbreaking ceremony signifying the launch of the construction process for the Hampton Boathouses, a town home community, located along the Shinnecock Canal in Hampton Bays that will include 37 townhouses.

The Hampton Boathouses will offer residents "spacious accommodations, top-tiered amenities and stunning water views from each of the homes’ private patios or balconies," a release said. The sales of the Hampton Boathouses are being spearheaded by Douglas Elliman.

The Rechlers, over many years, pitched the plan for the town houses, which was met with some opposition from Shinnecock Hills residents who commenced a lawsuit.

However, those embracing the belief that CPI should be restored to its former glory worked for years to see the dream realized.

“This project has been a long time in the making, but we couldn’t be more proud to be moving forward with the plans to improve the waterfront along the Shinnecock Canal,” said Gregg Rechler. “We are excited for the Hampton Boathouses to start taking shape and provide new residences that offer a prime location and host of desired amenities.”

“The Hampton Boathouses will provide a unique housing option to the Hampton Bays’ secondary-home sector while revitalizing a prominent piece of property along the Shinnecock Canal,” said Mitchell Rechler. “Moreover, this development is part of a larger renaissance that is happening in Hampton Bays, and we’re thrilled to be contributing in a significant way.”

The Hampton Boathouses will consist of 37 luxury three-bedroom units spanning seven buildings "that have been architecturally designed to meet the aesthetic of the East End and South Shore’s manor-styled homes. Starting at $1.5 million, the town homes will also feature their own private patios or balconies, depending on the floor, as well as access to a dock equipped with 20 boat slips. In addition, stunning outdoor amenities, including a pool with a 360-degree deck furnished with lounge chairs and a club room with a gym, kitchen and massage rooms, will be available for residents and their guests," the release said.

Completion is anticipated for spring of 2020.

“Finally everybody sees the value that west of the canal is. Finally everyone sees that we deserve a serious seat at the table,” said Enzo Morabito, associate broker at Douglas Elliman.

Construction of the Hampton Boathouses is part of a larger Maritime Planned Development District —including the rehabilitation of the Canoe Place Inn. Proponents say the development will also serve as a boon to the local economy.

The overall MPDD was part of a 12-year approval process that promised significant community and environmental benefits, including roadway improvements to improve traffic safety, a Nitrex nitrogen removal system to ensure improved water quality for groundwater and waterways, and a parking area and access path to a viewing platform along the Shinnecock Canal that will be available for the public.

CPI is reportedly the oldest inn site in America. Records show that the inn, originally the home of Stephen Herrick, was the only house between Riverhead and Southampton in the 1700s. The Hampton Bays Historical Society's website said that Herrick's son, George, purchased the property from his siblings and operated the inn sometime after 1756 until 1785 when he sold it.

The Inn put up British officers during the American Revolution; there was a fort on the hill behind the inn that overlooked the main road and the isthmus at Canoe Place, the society said.

In 1921, the Canoe Place Inn was destroyed by a fire, though two chimneys survived. The inn was rebuilt and later rebuilt and enlarged.

In 2015, the proposed plan to expand the Canoe Place Inn and redevelop the land on both sides of the Shinnecock Canal was approved by the Southampton Town Board.

The plan raised some concerns among citizens, including Shinnecock Hills residents advocated voting "no" to zoning changes.

The Southampton town board listened to residents' concerns during the public hearing on the plan.

Others addressed residents' concerns and stated why they believed plan was a good idea.

In 2013, Hampton Bays residents — some there to see the deteriorating Canoe Place Inn brought back to its former glory, and others who had concerns about a busy business coming to their neighborhood and near the water — poured into Town Hall to speak out on a change of zone petition and draft environmental impact statement on the plan.

The Rechlers pitched a maritime planned development district that included sparing the inn from the wrecking ball — and completely restoring it as a catering facility with overnight accommodations.

A planned development district is a zoning tool that allows greater density on a parcel than is permitted by current zoning, in exchange for a community benefit.

The plan also includes five cottages as part of the inn's operation, and replacing the site of Tide Runners bar and restaurant on North Road with townhouses and boat slips; those buildings on the canal were later demolished to make way for the town homes.

The Rechlers own the 5.8-acre Canoe Place Inn site, located on the corner of Newtown Road and Montauk Highway on the west side of the Shinnecock Canal, as well as a collection of parcels located on the east side of the canal.

Initially, the plan was to raze the Canoe Place Inn and build a 75-unit private residential club. But after meeting community resistance, in late 2009 the Rechlers scrapped the 75-unit plan. Instead, they would raze the building and build as of right, skipping the arduous process of requesting a change of zone.

"We actually went as far as pulling the demolition permit," Rechler said during his presentation in 2015. But instead of going forward with using the demolition permit, Rechler said they agreed to hold off.

He said that he became caught up in the romanticism of saving and restoring the historic inn, and the new plan called for building the townhouses on the east side of the Shinnecock Canal to subsidize saving the inn.

"We're going to rehabilitate something that's important to all of us in the community," he said.

The plan also includes public access to the waterfront at the townhouses; he said the plan was changed from condos to townhouses because there will be greater tax revenue for the town.

Several residents said the plan was the right plan for Hampton Bays."This is a no-brainer," a resident remarked during the public comment period of the hearing. "This is a deal that has to be done."

Dr. Bruce King, then-president of the Hampton Bays Civic Association, recalled, "It was about seven years about that I was here talking about saving the Canoe Place Inn."

He said, at the time, that disappointment that Tide Runners would be gone under the new plan should be set aside. "That property's too valuable; it's going to change. The townhouses will add money to the community. It will not add students to the school," Dr. King said. He encouraged the town board to vote for the overall plan. "It's good for Hampton Bays. It's time for us to get moving in Hampton Bays."

Several residents of the area surrounding the site voiced their concerns, including too much density at the site of the town homes, and the fear that thencatering hall and grounds could become a noisy nightclub. Other concerns named were making sure that foul air did not escape from the proposed septic system.

Kevin McAllister, the president of Peconic Baykeeper, a nonprofit that advocates for local waters, said what was proposed was the first use in Southampton of a new modern wastewater system that results in less effluent. "Suffolk County would not approve this system if it wasn't the real deal," McAllister said.

A past presentation laid out a timeline of the Canoe Place Inn's storied history — and when it began to lose its historic integrity. The Old CPI burned down in 1921 and was rebuilt by Julius Keller in 1922. Its first 20 or so years was the Canoe Place Inn's heyday, but it has been in decline since Keller died in 1945 and it changed hands a number of times, becoming a neglected blight on the Hampton Bays canvas.

In the 1950s and '60s, the building was altered. "The vast majority of the historic fabric of the building is not there," architect Scott Pollack said.The decline escalated in the 1970s. "In 1974 the site was irrevocably changed when the Old Montauk Highway overpass was built," Pollack said. The move cut the Canoe Place Inn off from the water and the grade of the site was raised, burying a third of the first floor.

Patch courtesy photo.