Long Islanders that commute from the Hicksville train station have gotten another dose of bad news.
Officials say a crack, which shut down the parking garage for more than a week, can not be repaired. While crews attempted to repair the crack, which was found in the structure, over 1,000 commuters had to park at the Broadway Mall and take a shuttle bus.
Officials now say they?re tearing down the entire parking garage in September. They say that it doesn?t make financial sense to repair the garage, which was built in 1971 ? and that a new garage won?t be finished until at least February 2010. One commuter doubts that target date.
?That?s optimistic ? I?m in construction. I think it? s going to take longer. They waited all this time, that thing was falling apart. It?s a shame,? says Mark Demel, of Plainview.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto disagrees. ?The time line, I?m told, from start to finish, including demolition and rebuilding, is about 18 months,? he says. ?But I?m very hopeful we can build some incentives into the contract to make sure it?s done even earlier.?
Other commuters noticed that the structure was beginning to crumble.
?Every week there?d be a few spaces closed with chunks of concrete in them,? says Adam Wernow, of Plainview.
For the past week, commuters have parked on the side of the road near the station without authorities handing out tickets, but the town says it will begin to write tickets on June 23. According to town officials, additional parking spots will be made available soon, including at the Sears store nearby.
For previous coverage of the Hicksville parking garage collapse, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.
Hicksville LIRR parking garage shut downTown of Oyster Bay