Demolition of remaining stump yard structures begins
Former BOE building, brick structure on chopping block
Demolition of two buildings located in the former stump yard on Cookman Avenue began today.
Crews started to demolish the two structures, located on a block between the Wesley Grove condominiums and Kennedy Park, at about 9 a.m. this morning.
The larger structure with white awnings has functioned as both a bank and the local board of education [BOE] headquarters. A yellow brick building with a purple door located next door is also being demolished.
There are no immediate plans to build on the site, said Brian Cheripka, vice president of land for iStar Financial. The site was once home to what locals affectionately called the Stump Yard, a large plot of land that was full of wooden stumps due to a failed construction effort about seven years ago. The stumps were removed in September.
The site was originally planned as the first phase of the Wesley Grove condominium development, city planning and redevelopment director Don Sammet said today. But Sammet and Cheripka reiterated the lot will stay empty for now.
“In the interim, we will add additional street lighting, improve the streetscape and discuss adding signage to welcome residents and visitors to the waterfront,” Cheripka said. The additional landscaping and lighting are “part of our vision to create a more welcoming entry to the waterfront,” he added.
Waterfront redeveloper Asbury Partners — which is owned by iStar Financial — has been working on a streetscape plan to connect the city’s central business district with the boardwalk and waterfront which has been ongoing since the spring. New lighting and landscaping have been installed on a once-barren stretch of Cookman thanks to the plan.
The former board of education and bank building “had severe interior water damage, even prior to Hurricane Sandy,” Cheripka said. “As such, it was beyond repair. The structure should have been taken down years ago. This demolition, and the upcoming site improvements, have been on our list since taking title to the property from Madison Marquette in August.”
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