Valley Stream officials seek new uses for recreation building

The Hendrickson Park administration building looks very different inside than it did at the beginning of the summer.

After the building filled with about than three feet of water following a mid-August rain storm, village officials decided that it could not longer be used to house the Recreation Department’s offices. The water damaged wood paneling and sheetrock, caused mold and ruined paperwork, appliances and recreation supplies.

Most of the walls have been ripped out, as have all the electric outlets. Floor tiles in several rooms and offices have been pulled up. All that remains are cinder block walls, metal and wood studs, plumbing fixtures, ceilings and lights.

However, village officials say all is not lost with the building. While the Recreation Department’s offices have moved to the Firemen’s Field Clubhouse, the Hendrickson Park administration could still be used for various activities.

Mayor Ed Fare said that the village could reconfigure the building and create several small and large meeting rooms. All walls would be cinder block or water-proof composite board, and the floor would have an epoxy finish. That way, he said, if the building ever fills with water again it won’t ruin the structure and could simply be dried out. Outlets would be several feet off the ground, and supplies would either be kept on high shelves or at another building.

“We’ll still use it for functions,” Fare said, noting the annual Halloween and Christmas events. However, he said, the building won’t be ready in time for those activities this year.

Plastic tables and chairs could be kept in the building, which can dry easily, Fare said. There would not be any paperwork or computers, however.

Recreation Director Tom Roberts said he looks forward to having the building usable again for groups. He noted that the fall is a busy of time of year, when many local organizations are looking for space for meetings or events. In the past, the Recreation Department has been able to provide that at Hendrickson Park. Now, he said, there is only the one common room at Firemen’s Field.

Roberts said he and his staff are trying to do their best to meet every group’s requests, but that scheduling will be tight until the building at Hendrickson Park is repaired. “It will be a tough fall,” he said.

He also noted that because Firemen’s Field is a major sports complex, serving Central High School’s outdoor sports teams and several youth leagues, parking there is very limited.

Fare said he has asked Thomas McAleer, the superintendent of buildings, to begin drawing up plans to make the Hendrickson Park administration building a functional space again. The mayor said he would like to have plans done within a few months, so village crews can do the renovations in the winter and have the building ready for use in the spring.

He explained that the damage to the building after the Aug. 14 storm, in which about eight inches of rain fell on Valley Stream in a matter of hours, made it obvious that the major changes were needed, both with the physical aspects of the building and its uses. “There was no reason to sink good money into bad in the shape this building was in,” he said. “Use what you got to the best of your ability. We know this floods.”