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As part of the waterfront redevelopment project, demolition has begun on a Grand Avenue building that last housed a Felix Fox paint store.

The brick structure [above] had been hollowed out as of Tuesday morning. Demolition of the structure is expected to take two weeks, according to Brian Cheripka, vice president of land for iStar Financial, which owns a majority interest in master waterfront redeveloper Asbury Partners.

“It’s being demolished to make way for a new development project,” Cheripka said. “We hope to announce that project within the next few weeks.”

The project would then be submitted to the city for approvals, he said.

Excavation equipment is also on site from New Jersey American Water Company, which is installing new eight-inch water mains, Cheripka said. The building is located at the intersection of Grand and Monroe avenues.

A second vacant structure [right] in the waterfront zone — a Kingsley Street building which last housed a pizzeria — also faces imminent demolition, according to Cheripka.

The structure is on the block that includes the vacant Salvation Army building which fronts Sunset Park. Asbury Partners acquired ownership of the former pizzeria building within the past 30 days, Cheripka said.

Clearing the pizzeria building site is “critical” to the eventual redevelopment of the Salvation Army building, he said.

“We’re moving quickly to take it down,” Cheripka said. “It represents a symbol of blight.”

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