Bellport's Ho-Hum beach pavilion located on Fire Island's southern coast was constructed in June of 2015, after a previous version built in 1983 was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Shortly after the hurricane, Bellport Village applied for and received reimbursement for the full $548,000 cost of construction for a new pavilion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For reference, and as noted in the Advance, FEMA’s public assistance program allows for funding to states and municipalities after a disaster is declared, which then-president Barack Obama had declared for New York and New Jersey back in 2012. “Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of a disaster.” This assistance covered the re-building of an ocean side beach pavilion that has stood barely 4 years. Due to rapid erosion along the Fire Island coastline, the pavilion is quickly sinking into the Atlantic Ocean. With news that the village is planning to rebuild the pavilion again and simply shift it farther north, Auto Body pauses to ask architects in the community to put forth their own alternative solutions. The Ho-Hum proposals displayed in this show reflect the needs and concerns of the community as seen through the eyes of local architects.

Photography by Genevieve Garruppo