Atlantic Beach Park Street building to be razed

The Village of Atlantic Beach is scheduled to demolish a building that dates to the 1930s because it is considered a hazard, but the owners of the structure at 2305 Park Street think it could be saved.

What was once a beautiful looking art deco-styled building is now in disrepair and though through the years it has housed businesses and people, it is currently vacant.

The Libbey family that owns the building — and has consistently been at odds with the present village administration — had its own engineer review the structure.

Sion Hourizadeh, a Floral Park-based engineers admitted the building needs repairs, but says it doesn’t have to be razed. There were no inside defects, no sagging or settling, but joints do need to be reinforced, while an exterior wall needs to be replaced, which he said was begun. But, he did a sign of a water leak on the ceiling.

“I read the (village) engineer’s report and he just looked at the outside as per his report, it seems if you don’t check inside, looking at some of the blocks, they are not attached properly and you would be under the impression that the building may collapse,” Hourizadeh said. “It’s not in imminent danger of collapsing, but it’s a very old building and it could if it’s not repaired. In my professional opinion, I have seen buildings in worse shape.”

However, the engineering report the village is going by was conducted by R&W Engineers of Bay Shore noted five major defects following its exterior review of the structure.

The block parapet (wall) is bowing and leaning, but though it appeared to have been under renovation there was no existing reinforcement between the blocks. “This condition is significant in that it poses a serious life safety concern as falling block could result in fatalities,” Michael L. Williams, vice president of R&W wrote in report to the village.

They found cracks in those blocks that indicates uneven settling of the foundation, no or not enough reinforcement between the blocks or the presence of water. Exposure caused extensive rotting of timber roof framing members. Tarps over the roof indicate that the roof structure is failing. Ineffective drainage from the roof on the south side appears to allow water into the building.

Though work was begun to repair the building two years ago, the village issued a stop work order because, according to Victoria Libbey Simao, the permit didn’t include mention of replacing blocks, which Simao said was part of the application.

“It is one of the last historic art deco building in Atlantic Beach and a familiar feature of Atlantic Beach, when someone is entering off the bridge,” she said, explaining why it is important to maintain the building.

But, Village Mayor Stephen Mahler sticks by the engineers report and the decision of the board at a Sept. 6 hearing to have the building razed. “We have a responsibility to the public, if that building collapsed people would say the village moved too slowly,” said Mahler, who noted that if the communication between the Libbeys and the village was less contentious and there was a little respect, their plight might gotten support from the village.

The deadline for demolition is Oct. 1. A letter was sent from the village to the

Libbeys saying the process has begun, Simao said.