Last spring, the borough acquired the former bar and nightclub for roughly $1.3 million after revoking the owners’ entertainment license. Soon after, the building was deemed unsafe and warnings were posted. By February of 2008, borough engineer Glen Beckmeyer’s worries about the building’s structural integrity were so great that he urged the council to forego public bidding and award a demolition contract to Russo Construction of Hackensack for $112,000.

But the move was complicated by the discovery of asbestos onsite, which had to be removed by a separate $27,000 contract before demolition could begin. Then in March, contractors preparing the building for demolition discovered a hidden double-roof, the elimination of which added $4,000 to the bill. Nevertheless, Beckmeyer told the council that contractors were obtaining final permits to begin the work.

But at the council’s April 15 meeting, Beckmeyer reported another snag. His office was waiting for written proof from United Water that the building’s utilities had been shut off, without which the borough’s building department would not issue permits. The utilities company was withholding the letter because of unpaid bills associated with the property.

Mayor Cassella, frustrated with the delay, half-jokingly recommended an alternative to waiting for the go-ahead from the building department.

"I would advise that we start [the demolition], then let the building department fine us and we’ll take it out of their budget," he told council members.

Still, the consensus was that the old Park City Grille’s demise was immanent.

Fast forward to mid-May, when Beckmeyer informed the mayor and council of further delays.

Months prior, the borough had concluded that that the Park City Grille could be razed without doing damage to adjacent buildings, but to be safe Beckmeyer notified neighboring property owners of his findings in writing, and took photographs of the properties for protection from liability.

"It’s kind of a precarious situation over there," Councilman Jeff Lahullier, who heads the Building and Grounds Committee, told the South Bergenite. "We have to do everything we need to do to protect ourselves, but also the owners of those buildings."

The property owners were told that much of the demolition would be done by saw and sledgehammer instead of heavy machinery, and that as the existing foundation was deconstructed, workers would reinforce its sidewalls, in case elements of the existing structure bore loads from adjoining buildings.

But by the time of the special mayor and council meeting of May 13, Beckmeyer reported that only one of the two owners contacted had signed off on the demolition. The second had gone to an attorney, who in turn wrote the borough with a series of stipulations to be met prior to any agreement.

With the blessing of the council, Beckmeyer told the lawyer that the owner could accept or reject the document as written, but that the borough would go through with the demolition regardless.

By the end of May, the borough had also sorted out their problems with United Water by paying hundreds of dollars in back bills that the council initially thought were not their responsibility.

"We assumed that those were bills that were left over from the previous owner, but they weren't," said Lahullier. "What happens is, if you have a fire suppression system in the building, then you have to keep the water on in that building.

"The fire suppression system needs that water, so the day you take ownership of the building, you pay that bill," he said. "And unless you pay the bills, you can't get the letter [needed to secure demolition permits]. So they kind of hold you ransom."

Councilman Joel Brizzi cited similar problems with other utility companies as having caused furthered delays.

"Every utility company that was there was a two [or] three week delay," said Brizzi. "First it was the water company—$200 a month for sprinklers. Then the phone company wouldn’t sign off because there was still a line there. That was a week. Then the sewers."

Once the demolition and cleanup are complete, contractors will pave and seed the property, which the town plans to use as a 50-space parking lot.