A quickly extinguished fire last Friday morning at the old, defunct Bombay Palace restaurant near the corner of Northern Boulevard where Merrivale Road crosses into University Gardens from Russell Gardens, left many observers trying to remember just how long the deteriorating structure has been empty.
Northern Boulevard was shut down both ways, tying up traffic and forcing detours for a little over an hour for the one block stretch between Merrivale and Wensley Drive. The fire, which sent clouds of smoke above the roof, was first reported around 9:15 a.m.
Damage to the building’s already sparse decayed interior was negligible.
Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department sent eight pieces of equipment to the site, according to Chief Michael Farrone. Companies from Great Neck Alert, Great Neck Vigilant, New Hyde Park, Plandome, Port Washington, Garden City Park, Albertson, Floral Park, Williston Park and Roslyn also responded.
Chief Farrone guessed that Bombay Palace had been abandoned for at least five years while other long-time residents estimated that it had been 20 years or more since the building had been operational.
The fact that the 12,000-square-foot structure on the south side of Northern was abandoned made handling the fire easier to handle as the inside was quickly checked for occupants. Firefighters were also quick to mount the roof and ventilate the fire.
According to Chief Farrone, only one first responder was injured. The injury was minor, but the firefighter was treated at a local hospital and quickly released.
Numerous EMS technicians were at the site on standby as were Nassau County police officers.
The chief said that the cause of the fire was yet to be determined, but he said that it was still under investigation by Nassau fire officials. Several nearby residents who watched the fire, along with office workers who left their buildings to take pictures, spoke of a squatter who was known to use the building for shelter and speculated whether or not in order to keep warm he had set a fire that may have gotten out of hand.
Some onlookers said that the building, constructed in 1947, is not adequately boarded up to prevent trespassing or vandalism.
There have been a number of attempts to sell the building and parking lot in recent years, including a court-approved auction. Currently, a sign on the building advertises that it’s for lease or sale and lists Lake Success attorney Gerald A. Garber’s phone number. Several messages left at that number by The Record asking for information were not answered.
Nassau County records indicate that PD & G Realty listed the property for sale in 2014. The PD & G Realty address is the same as Garber’s.
Bombay Palace Fire
