Suffolk Awards JumpSMART, JumpStart Grants to East End

Suffolk County officials awarded $10 million in JumpStart and JumpSMART grants on November 3 to help fund nonprofit initiatives and water quality improvement projects across the towns of Riverhead and Southampton.

Awards in Riverhead were $250,000 to fund repairs to the historic Vail Leavitt Music Hall that the town recently acquired, $2 million for a new parking garage to help with ongoing downtown revitalization efforts, $1 million to the Long Island Science Center and $150,000 to the New York Marine Rescue Center. Awards in Southampton were $200,000 to the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and $114,000 to the Children’s Museum of the East End. Funding from the County’s Water Infrastructure Fund was also awarded to advance the Riverside Sewer District. 

“Through strategic investments and collaboration with all stakeholders, we are ensuring that our communities will be able to thrive and flourish,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said.

Suffolk’s $47 million JumpStart program is designed to strengthen existing community assets and enhance the development of regionally significant projects in Suffolk’s downtowns. JumpSMART will provide $30 million to support 60 local arts and cultural organizations. The funding was allocated through the federal American Rescue Plan.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said of Bellone: “He sees the progress we are making and the direction we are heading  and has been incredibly supportive.”