Sea Change On Pantigo
Clues to the Middlefield mystery - or, what the future may hold for the former Mark R. Buick building at Pantigo and Accabonac Roads in East Hampton - surfaced this week.
The 14,000-square-foot building is destined for a major metamorphosis, designed by its newest owner, Generosa Ammon of Middle Lane (hence "Middlefield") and Manhattan.
Mrs. Ammon is expected to invest between $300,000 and $400,000 in transforming the building to resemble an English country cottage similar to her East Hampton residence, according to her attorney, John McGowan of East Hampton.
Banks Or Retail
She is seeking a "long-term, single, quality tenant" willing to pay about $475,000 a year in rent, or $34 a square foot, said Frank Newbold of Sotheby's International Realty, the exclusive rental agent.
That is less than half the price some Main Street landlords have asked, said Mr. Newbold. The pre-existing, nonconforming building is zoned for use by a single tenant.
"We've had lots of inquiries," Mr. Newbold said. He said talks were under way with several "major retailers and banks," but declined to be more specific.
Interest has come from both New York and California firms, said the broker. If all goes well, he said, the building will be readied for business in time for next year's summer season.
Accabonac Entry
"This will be a real benefit for East Hampton," said Mr. McGowan. His client will seek preliminary approval from the East Hampton Village Design Review Board, which had its first look at the plans this week, before requesting a variance from the Village Zoning Board of Appeals for the proposed roof, which is about four feet higher than the code allows.
With its entrance facing Accabonac Road, the building would be extensively landscaped and surrounded by wattle fencing, woven of natural materials.
Mrs. Ammon, who could not be reached for comment, is said to have closely supervised the renovations to the former Jimmy Ernst residence on Lee Avenue, as well as the restoration of her own house here. She has also reportedly overseen projects in Westchester and Manhattan.
She is "self-taught," said Mr. Newbold, who added that Mrs. Ammon has done "lots of homework." Her husband, Theodore Ammon, is in the real estate business in Manhattan.
Strong Connection
The Pantigo Road site, once the home of the Strong family blacksmith shop, housed the family's stable and garage in the early part of this century.
More recently, the Mark R. Buick dealer ship occupied the site for many years. It closed in 1994, when Carol Konner, a Bridgehampton real estate devel oper, bought it for just under $1 million from Jerry Simons, Paul Kulakowski, and Glen Frankel. They had purchased it from the original owner, Mark Richard, several years before.
Mrs. Konner and a partner, Robert Steilen, ran Konner-Steilen Motors, a Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership, there for about a year and a half, until March 1996. Soon after, signs for Middlefield appeared in the building's plate-glass windows.
If Mrs. Ammon receives the go-ahead, it will mark the first break in the building's use as a garage or dealership in more than 60 years. It will also prevent another dealership from opening there in the future. (A rendering appears on page three.)