Dan's Papers - July 13, 2007 - Conscience Point Re-Opens as a Public Marina

What is perhaps best known as the infamous site where publicist Lizzie Grubman plowed her Mercedes-Benz SUV into sixteen people, the Conscience Point Marina situated on North Sea Harbor has undergone significant transformations in both appearance and reputation since that scandal-ridden night six years ago.

In 2003, the Town of Southampton used $3.15 million in Community Preservation Funds to purchase the 5-acre parcel. The acquisition included a commercial marina and the three-story former Hamptons hot spot, Conscience Point Inn. A year later, Southampton Town Parks and Recreation Superintendent Allyn Jackson developed plans to fix up what would be the Town of Southampton's first public marina. The $3.4 million renovation project, which was headed by Town Engineer George Mootoo along with the consulting firm Cashin Associates and several subcontractors, began last October and was just completed in May. The Marina concession building is complete. The Cape Cod-style structure formally known as Conscience Point Inn is currently being assessed for renovations. Rumors suggest that a seafood restaurant might occupy the space in the future, but definite plans have yet to be confirmed.

The new and improved Conscience Point Marina features 20 floating dock slips, 44 bulkhead slips and space for 35 dry-dock boats. In February 2007, twelve Town of Southampton residents were awarded the marina's available slips through a random lottery and on May 19, boats began docking there. The facility offers upgraded amenities such as credit card operated gasoline pumps, a concession building, jet ski lifts, a pavilion, restrooms with showers, winter storage, hardwood timber decking, landscaping at the entrance of the marina and along the boardwalks, improved lighting and an expanded parking area.

Two weeks ago, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the facility's re-opening. The event included a dedication of the marina -- a gesture much appreciated by Conscience Point's neighbors, as the residents had been working towards transforming the site for over a decade. When it was a nightclub, they were constantly bothered by the late night commotion and the abundance of litter found the morning after a busy club night. These residents are delighted to now share their neighborhood with the picturesque, family-friendly marina, a far cry from the exclusive and loud nightclub with the notorious history that was on the site before.

The renovated Conscience Point Marina is a breath of fresh air in a time when it seems like every new development in the Hamptons is either a nightclub or restaurant.