Northport visitor information booth set to open on time, under budget

Construction of Northport’s first visitor information booth is slated for completion by the end of the month, and is on track to be $10,000 under budget, thanks to donations from village businesses and organizations, officials said.

Originally projected to cost $22,000, the 12-foot by 9-foot booth is now expected to cost about $12,000, with 70 percent of the total covered by a Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization grant obtained in partnership with The Northport Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Mayor Henry Tobin said.

Savings also came from donated services by local architects, contractors and design professionals, as well as discounts offered by local businesses, and the use of village labor, Tobin said.

The booth was designed with the look and feel of small traditional commercial buildings, and Victorian and Edwardian period homes like those around the waterfront village, Tobin said.

“It was important to have a building that reflects Northport and this building is based on traditional Northport architecture,” he said. “That was very purposely, consciously done.”

The information booth will be a welcome addition for the business community, said Paul Gallowitsch Jr., one of the owners of Skipper’s Pub in Northport. He said the restaurant frequently gets calls from people asking for information about concerts in the park and other local events.

“It’s going to be really nice to have a place where you have people answering those questions,” Gallowitsch said.

The visitor booth is being constructed in Northport Park, on the edge of the harbor on Bayview Avenue, just off Main Street.

The chamber has contributed a video screen that will broadcast content about the village, including events, times and locations for church services, and historical images and videos about Northport.

The video and brochures will be available even when the building isn’t staffed, said Debi Triola, past president of the chamber.

“We’ve all tried to do whatever we could to make and keep Northport a viable destination for people that supports all the business owners and in turn supports all the residents in the community,” Triola said. “Having a central information booth with all of the activities in Northport was always needed.”

The days and hours that the booth will be staffed haven’t been determined, officials said, adding that they’re seeking volunteers.