By Nicole Flatow
"By mid-October, we'll start seeing things coming out of the ground," said Lynbrook Mayor Gene Scarpato. He anticipates the steel structure should begin construction in about two weeks and will be finished before the winter holiday season.
The new one-story building, will replace the two-story building that was destroyed by an electrical fire on June 18, 2001. The fire caused extensive smoke and water damage to six of the ground-level businesses and devastated the row of second-story offices at the Atlantic Avenue, Broadway, Merrick Road intersection.
The new building plans feature a slight increase in the building's first floor square footage from 6,100 to 6,500 square feet. An alleyway that once existed behind the building has been shrunk, allowing for the expansion of the building. The sidewalks surrounding the building will also receive a facelift as part of the reconstructed project that is estimated to cost about $600,000.
The gutted building was torn down in mid-September last year after an assessment by Lou Bello, Lynbrook building department superintendent, determined that a one-story building would be better for the densely populated area.
The new five corner building plans were met with some opposition from local residents concerning parking issues of the heavily traveled corner. The village zoning board however approved the rebuilding on the property without the need for additional parking spaces, according to Bello.
The new five corners building is designed by Wax and Ferraro architects of Cedarhurst. Architect Norman Wax said he has designed many other businesses in the area and said the plans for the building fit in well with the character of the neighborhood.
Patty Robinson, owner of the Broadway Beanery, the coffee shop that inhabited the original five corners building said she is both excited and frustrated to return to the corner she calls home.
"We always planned to reopen the store," said Robinson. "We wanted to stay in Lynbrook because it's our home. After five and a half years [though] you don't expect to be doing all that work again."
The coffee shop will return with the same nuances and personal touches it once had in addition to an expansion of services, which will include a full restaurant and separate bar.
Owners of Shake-A-Paw could not be reached for comment as of press time.
