SAG HARBOR, N.Y. — Nearly four years after a fire tore through the village in December 2016, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday to celebrate the end of construction and fundraising that breathed new life into the beloved Sag Harbor movie theater.
Even as smoke rose from the ruins, saving the Sag Harbor movie theater became a rallying cry that united scores of people who came together to resurrect the theater. At Saturday's event, elected officials gathered, observing social distancing protocols, to usher the cinema into its next incarnation.
Attendees included Eric Gettler of the Empire State Development Corporation, New York State Congressman Fred Thiele, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, Southampton City Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni, and Sag Harbor Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy.
Cinema president April Gornik said the dedication was intended to honor officials who had financially and culturally supported efforts to save the Cinema. Gornick also thanked the first responders who battled freezing cold to fight the fire four years ago. He also praised the representatives of the original 501c3, the Sag Harbor Partnership, that started the renaissance of the Cinema
Gertler said the Cinema is an example of a government-private partnership situation that ESD is happy to support.
Thiele talked about his childhood in Sag Harbor. The theater, for more than 90 years, has stood as the “true center of the village,” he said. Thiele also said the Community Preservation Fund has provided $4.5 million to the Cinema as a way to “preserve the culture and preserve the community.”
Thiele said his family's connection to the movies has long run deep: Both of his parents were in the theater when Pearl Harbor was bombed, he said. they were happy to be back after the war, he added.
Schneiderman, who was responsible for the disbursement of CPF funds, reflected on the creativity of the Sag Harbor community, as well as the members of the Cinema team. Gornick thanked Schneiderman and officials for understanding the importance of culture as an economic engine, but also as an integral part of East End life.
Schiavoni also shared his memories of cinema, which go back to his early childhood.
Mulcahy thanked Brenda Siemer, who saved the old Cinema sign from being replaced. He praised the heroic efforts of the firefighters who not only saved the Cinema, but also the Main Street. He also praised Twin Forks Moving and Storage owner Chris Denon, who, on the night of the fire, saved the iconic Cinema sign by storing it at his facility at his own expense. It was this kind of “territorial community initiative”, he said, that helped Cinema “rise from the ashes”.
