With residents expressing concerns about the demolition of the former Swezey's store taking place on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri said legal issues forced the demolition date to get pushed up a day to Sept. 11.
"Tritec is tied up in some legal issues that have to be taken care of on Wednesday," Pontieri said, explaining that the village did not want the demolition stalled.
"It's unfortunate that it's on the day that it is," Pontieri said of it being held on Sept. 11.
Chris Kelly, Tritec's director of marketing, told Patch that the date was changed to maintain the construction schedule.
"We understand the significance of the day but our actions are not meant to be ones of remembrance, defiance or disrespect," Kelly said. "We are holding no ceremony or scheduling any speeches."
Several residents took to Patchogue Patch's Facebook page to criticize the new demolition date.
"That is in such poor taste to tear down a building on such a horrific day in which so many lost lives in buildings coming down," Kimberly Piretti McBride posted.
The building is set to be demolished at 6:30 a.m. next Tuesday.
The demolition of the store, which earlier this summer, is to make way for Tritec Real Estate company's plan to bring 291 apartments, 46,000 square feet of retail space and 18,000 square feet of office space at the intersection.
