Island Rec rebuilding Seaford store

It’s been nine months since the fire that destroyed Island Recreational on Hicksville Road in Seaford.

Last March, a blaze broke out that reduced the swimming pool supplies store to rubble and caused damage to several other stores in the Midlawn Shopping Center. This included a karate studio, Mark’s Barber Shop and Ming Sing Chinese Kitchen. Fast forward to today, and the Island Recreational is well on its way to being rebuilt.

After the fire, Island Recreational moved to Farmingdale, about five minutes away. However, that location is expected to be temporary with a move back to the Hicksville Road plot coming in April after construction is finished. “We have been there for the past 38 years and expect to be there for a 39th,” said owner John Bonelli.

He went on to say how the store will be refurnished to make it an even better facility than it was, as it will feature more modern construction. “The shopping center has been there since the early ’50s,” he said.

The rebuilding of Island Recreational is not only a benefit to its business, but to the shopping center as a whole. The fire shook the surrounding businesses, as each struggled to keep customers coming in. An example is Mark’s Barber Shop, which moved several doors down from its original location due to damage from the fire.

“Island Recreational hires a lot of employees that have not been coming in,” said Jim Olivet, co-owner of Joanne’s Deli. “For us, that’s breakfast and lunch.”

Olivet and his wife, Joanne, talked about how all eateries in the Midlawn Shopping Center used to rely on Island Recreational’s employees for business as it would bring in a lot of customers. With it gone, each of the stores in the shopping center have been affected.

“After the fire the business was not doing very well,” said Yuki Sun, who works at Ming Sing Chinese Kitchen. “But it started to pick up little by little.”

Sun explained how a lot of the restaurant’s customers thought it was shut down after the fire, despite the fact that they remained open. Now, with the parking lot being crowded with construction vehicles and due to seasonal hindrances, Sun fears that the Chinese kitchen will fall back on its progress. However, when Island Recreational moves back this April, business is expected to pick up again.

“Everybody is looking forward to them coming back,” Olivet said.

Island Recreation’s grand re-opening is tentatively scheduled for April 10.