The New Rochelle Rowing Club’s historic building will be demolished.
Tuesday, the City Council awarded $120,360 to a Yonkers company to tear down the Hudson Park landmark.
According to LoHud, “the building, which sits on about a quarter-acre of city-owned land overlooking the Long Island Sound, was constructed in 1900. The council recognized the structure as historic seven years ago.”
Hurricane Sandy damaged the building almost two-and-a-half years ago, though, leaving it a “hazard,” according to City Manager Chuck Strome.
Members of the private club have criticized the council’s plan, which bypassed the city’s formal bidding process for projects exceeding $35,000. A waiver was granted in this case, Strome said, “because it’s a relatively small amount of money” and the site is in poor condition.
“They had it in mind they were going to rip the place down a couple of years ago (before the storm),” former club president Rick Bauer told The Journal News prior to Tuesday’s vote. “This is a big charade.”
