Nonprofit takes over former Southold Opera House

Community Action Southold Town has closed on the $2.8 million purchase of its new home.

The 9,000-square-foot building on Main Road, which was the long-time home of the Southold Methodist Church, was most recently used as the Southold Opera House.

The acquisition is made possible by CAST’s Build What Matters fundraising campaign. To date, CAST has raised $2.2 million, nearly 75 percent of its $3 million capital campaign goal, and hopes to raise the remaining 25 percent in the next year. A portion of the funds raised included a grant from the New York Empire State Economic Development Fund.

The CAST nonprofit, which serves seniors and families in Southold, aims to revive the property into a community resource center. At the new space, CAST will be able to offer a larger client choice food pantry and sharing room for clothing and household items, more room for education programs for both children and adults, private meeting/interview spaces, a teaching kitchen for culinary and hospitality training, a community garden to grow fresh food, as well as arts and cultural programs. 

CAST’s new home represents the next phase of growth for the nonprofit which plans to reopen its doors as the Center for Advocacy, Support & Transformation.

“Signing the papers to close on the former Southold Opera House is a dream realized,” said CAST Board President Marc Sokol. “We are so grateful for the generous support from the members of the community, who dedicate their time and resources every day to make our community a better place to live.”