Riverhead Chamber of Commerce moving to Thirty West Main
The Riverhead Chamber of Commerce is relocating its headquarters to Thirty West Main, the newly renovated shared workspace complex co-owned by commercial real estate broker Georgia Malone. It has a June 1 move-in date.
“We knew about Thirty West Main because Ms. Malone invited us to her ribbon-cutting facility, where we were able to tour the facility,” chamber president Brian Curtin said. “It was the only place we visited when looking for a new place to call home.”
Last month, Suffolk Theater owner Bob Castaldi entered into a contract with Riverhead Town to purchase the chamber’s current headquarters in the dilapidated East Lawn building on East Main Street for $125,000. The Riverhead Housing Development Corporation and Riverhead Community Awareness Program also occupy space at East Lawn and must move out by June 30.
“We’re grateful to the town for allowing us to work out of the East Lawn building for so many years, but like all good things, that came to an end,” Mr. Curtin said. “We felt very strongly that moving to a more centralized location, specifically Thirty West Main, would help our chamber get the word out that we’re here and we’re here to help.”
Ms. Malone, a Westhampton Beach resident who opened Thirty West Main in December with business partner Amir Korangy of New York City real estate magazine The Real Deal, said 10 of its 27 second- and third-floor offices are now occupied.
Ninow’s Music Store, which has occupied Thirty West Main’s first floor for the past year, is closing later this month. Ms. Malone said she would like to see another music shop or a café like Hamptons Coffee move into the space. Clothing store officials have reportedly expressed interest in the storefront but Ms. Malone said she opposes the idea.
“I want to do something that benefits Riverhead,” she said. “I don’t think a clothing store benefits Riverhead.”
In addition to Thirty West Main, Ms. Malone recently entered into a contract to purchase the neighboring structure at 20 West Main, which for the past 55 years has housed Allied Optical Plan. Ms. Malone said she plans to convert that building’s first and second floors into private offices. Its third floor could potentially be turned into a shared kitchen space.
“It would be the opposite of [Thirty West Main,] Ms. Malone said. “I don’t want it to compete with it. Businesses would have to pay their own utilities.”
