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Business & Tech

Goodbye Lamplighter Inn....Hello Grady Animal Hospital

After recently being added to the Town's Blight List, the site finally gets a makeover.

Just a few short months ago, , which seeks to punish landowners that allow their properties to fall into disrepair. Among them was the former Lamplighter Inn, a now abandoned and severely blighted building located at 465 Montauk Highway in Sayville.

What has been an eyesore for many years in Sayville is now history. The blighted building is no more, as demolition began this week for the site of the new Grady Animal Hospital, owned by Sayville resident Dr. Mark Caporaso. Dr. Caporaso and his family moved to Sayville about six years ago, and shortly thereafter, started looking for a location somewhere in town to build an animal hospital. 

Dr. Caporaso’s vision of Grady Animal Hospital was born out of a longing to be a small town veterinarian where he knew each animal and their owners personally, and would always be available to them whenever he was needed.  

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The name was determined way before even one property was looked at, Mark’s wife Stacey told Patch. It reminded her husband of the movie “Doc Hollywood,” in which the main character opted to be a small town doctor because of its beautiful simplicity and the strong relationships that could be forged with the community. “That, to him, was worth more than money could ever buy. Grady was the actual name in the film of the small town hospital where Michael J. Fox’s character decided to stay instead of getting a high-paying job in the city,” Stacey said.

She continued, “It had been a challenge to find a spot to put Mark’s dream into reality because he would not settle for anything less than what he envisioned. Aesthetically, he wanted the new, outside structure to follow a classic country doctor’s office design, and its interior to present a clean, warm, inviting, and comfortable feel for the clients, animals and his staff. Many of the colors used throughout its rooms will be ones that we have in our own home. Grady’s grounds will also mirror our love of nature by offering a lush landscape of hand-selected plants and shrubs.”

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As much as residents will be happy to say goodbye to the old structure formerly known as Lamplighter Inn, a few of its memories will remain. According to Mark and Stacey, they spoke with the contractor and asked him to try to salvage the lamp post that is still standing in front of the building. “Many people are nostalgic of the old Lamplighter and we would like to pay homage to that,” they said. “It will not remain in the same spot, but will be placed in one of the gardens by the new entrance.”

The contractor was also able to recover a large painting from the restaurant, which depicts its name and logo. “We are going to have it restored and hang it in the waiting room for all to see and be able to reminisce over,” Stacey added. “It seems anyone who asks us about the project had eaten there and/or knows someone who worked there at one point.”

“I cannot tell you how many people have stopped at the site; they are so excited to see something new and beautiful put in its place,” she added. “Also, everyone is quite touched that we are restoring and showcasing both the Lamplighter's oil painting and lamp post...People have such happy memories from there.”

Dr. Caporaso has been a veterinarian for almost 20 years. He actively volunteers for numerous rescue groups, shelters and spay/neuter clinics all over Long Island. “People know that when everyone else says they cannot do something for an animal because of the cost, they can call Mark and he can somehow, someway, get it done,” Stacey said.

The Caporaso family has invested all of their hopes, dreams, energy, and finances into this property. One of their goals is to expose people from all over Long Island to the town. “People who have never been in Sayville will be exposed to its shops and businesses and make our town a place where they regularly shop,” Stacey said. “We love it here and want it to maintain its tastefully quaint beauty by keeping it alive.”

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