No. 9 Top News Story: Suffolk Theater reopens

For the first time since 1987, when it showed “Dirty Dancing,” the Suffolk Theater was open for business.

After years of work and millions of dollars, Bob and Dianne Castaldi hosted its opening party on March 2 to much fanfare.

The history leading up to the re-opening had been well documented. Riverhead Town purchased the theater in 1994, attempted to reopen it on its own and sold it to the Castaldis about a decade later.

Since the theater’s re-emergence, a few more new businesses have opened their doors on Main Street while other projects, such as the Woolworth building renovation, are in the works.

The theater, like a lot of businesses, has faced its fair share of challenges, having gone through a pair of general managers in seven months. But there remains no other venue like it on the North Fork and with 19 apartments moving in next door with the Woolworth project and Summerwind starting to fill up down the street, it looks like there should be even more feet walking into the theater next year.

Editor’s note: We’re counting down the top 10 news stories of 2013. Check back every day until Jan. 1 to follow along.