BETH YOUNG PHOTO | The former Mill Creek Inn restaurant and Marina building near Southold.
Plans are under way to revitalize the former Mill Creek Inn restaurant and marina property between Southold and Greenport on Route 25, where another restaurant was built but never opened.
Cutchogue builder Eugene Burger bought the property this past summer and is seeking permits to finish the building shell constructed by Richard Principi, an Amagansett builder who purchased the property about six years ago.
Mr. Burger and his architect, Nancy Steelman, gave a brief presentation to the Town Planning Board Monday afternoon. They have not yet submitted a formal site plan for review.
Ms. Steelman said Mr. Principi “ran out of funds to finish the project,” after which it was sold out of bankruptcy to Silverstone Property Group. That group transferred title to Mr. Burger in June for $2.47 million.
Ms. Steelman said the original building was demolished in the middle of the night and the current structure went up “without permits for anything but the foundation.”
The building department issued a permit for the first floor of the two-story building, she said, and told the applicants to apply for a permit for the second story after they received Planning Board approval.
“The stipulation was we could only use the ground floor until site plan approval,” she said.
Mr. Burger said he expects a new restaurant will occupy both floors. The former Mill Creek Inn had an apartment and storage space upstairs.
Mr. Burger received approval from the Town Trustees in September to replace a crumbling bulkhead between the restaurant and the marina, but the Trustees decided to forgo reviewing his plan to legalize the 50 boat slips until after the site plan is completed.
The building’s interior is little more than exposed wall studs and it has no heat or insulation.
“We’re trying to take a fresh approach to the interior,” said Mr. Burger.
The property covers 3.27 acres, but 1.3 of those acres are under water within the marina’s boat basin. Ms. Steelman estimates the business will require 50 parking spaces for the marina and another 90 for the restaurant. Currently there is room for only 56 spaces.
“This is our big concern,” she said.
Mr. Burger said he’s negotiating to buy an adjacent parcel for parking. He said that vacant property is owned by Mr. Principi, who is asking almost as much for it as Mr. Burger paid for the marina property, despite the fact that it is partially wetlands. He said there are also liens on that property, further complicating the deal.
“We’re very, very close,” he said. “He wants a substantial amount of money for it … If we can get it at a fair price, we’re going to do it.”
Members of the Planning Board jokingly suggested that if Mr. Burger can’t buy the land next door, he buy the former Hollister’s Restaurant parking lot across the street.
Planning Board members seemed pleased by their initial view of the site plan.
“It’s a great project for the town,” said board member Don Wilcenski. “Good luck with it.”
Read more from the Planning Board in Thursday’s issue of The Suffolk Times