Roof Collapse Speeds Up Plans to Tear Down Old Bardonia Men's Club

The collapse of the snow-covered roof of the old Bardonia Mens’ Club building in Bardonia on Wednesday will likely speed up plans to tear down the old community meeting place.

The site of the club at the corner of Bardonia Road and Renee Lane, just a couple blocks east of Route 304, is slated to become a “vest pocket” passive park under a plan by the last remaining elements of the men’s club, the Town of Clarkstown and the Nanuet Fire Department.

Clarkstown Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer Joel J. Epstein said the one-story men’s club building was vacant and has not been used for years. He said it appears snow and ice on the roof led to its collapse about 7 a.m. Wednesday in the ice storm that hit Rockland County.

No one was injured in the collapse. Epstein, who lives across the street from the old men’s club building, said utility service was already turned off for the building, but Orange and Rockland Utilities was needed to remove an inactive power line to the building that had fallen onto Bardonia Road when the roof collapsed

Epstein said he was in the process of making arrangements for a portion of the roof that was still up to be knocked down as a safety precaution.

Although the site of the Bardonia Men’s Club holds many memories for local residents, Epstein said the building had been used less and less over the years as the membership of the old men’s club declined and the community changed. Epstein knows the club well since his father was one of its founders in 1954 and serves as the caretaker of the property in his role as the last president of the men’s club.

Epstein said the men’s club was among the early civic organizations formed in Clarkstown and it was very active for many years. He said the site of the club was originally obtained by club members from a local farmer and the club members constructed the building themselves. The club members went on to turn over their site to the Nanuet Fire Department, which built its fire substation next door on Renee Lane next door. The men’s club remained on the property under a lease.

Epstein said the current plan for the property calls for officially subdividing the site into two plots of land, with the portion of containing the men’s club building at the corner of Renee Lane and Bardonia Road to be donated to the Town of Clarkstown. The fire substation site would be a separate plot.

Since the men’s club was set to be demolished anyway, Epstein said his main concern after Wednesday’s roof collapse was to make certain no one could get into the building.  Epstein said the town hopes to be able to convert the property into a small park this year.

The exact date for the building's demolition has not yet been set.