Despite fires, Town of Hempstead still plans to revitalize downtown Baldwin

Two major fires in Baldwin's downtown in May led to the demolition of a Grand Avenue building and the boarding-up of a Merrick Road structure. But Town of Hempstead officials anticipate that the area can still be revived if business owners are willing to return to Merrick Road and the Albanese Development proposal for Grand Avenue goes as planned.

"Basically [the stores] are all in a condition that they will most likely be able to be rebuilt," town spokeswoman Susie Trenkle-Pokalsky said of the Merrick Road building. "None of the buildings were deemed so unsafe as to require demolition."

In situations like these, Trenkle-Pokalsky explained, the town typically gives business owners three months to decide whether they want to rebuild, the average length of an insurance company investigation.

Thus far, only the owner of the New Old Venice Inn has expressed interest in rebuilding, but other business owners still have almost two months to make decisions. The stores included a pizzeria, a barber shop and a hair salon.

Rebuilding the Grand Avenue building — which was demolished hours after the fire — is a bit more complicated. The property where the building once stood is still privately owned. At the same time, the town is partnering with Albanese Development on a plan to bring a five-story residential/retail development to the area as part of its downtown revitalization project.

Pariq Khan, president of ADZZ Realty, which owns the property, said he plans to erect a building similar to the one that was destroyed — a two-story, residential/retail mix. Khan said he is aware of the Albanese Development plan and would be open to selling the property for fair market value, but he added that he doubts the town can attract high-end retailers and restaurants in the current economic climate.

"I plan to rebuild — it's a great location, situated between Merrick [Road] and Sunrise [Highway], and Grand Avenue is a pretty busy street," Khan said.