Seagull's Nest On Sandy Hook Being Demolished

SANDY HOOK, NJ — Sad news for anyone who ever took in a sunset at this beloved beachside bar in Gateway National Recreation Area/Sandy Hook:

The demolition of the Area D concession building at Sandy Hook started Monday, the National Park Service announced. That's the building that Seagull's Nest, a popular restaurant/bar, called home for sixteen years.

The demolition started this past Monday, May 6, according to the federal park service, which runs and maintains Sandy Hook.

Seagull's Nest stood there for years, bravely facing the Atlantic Ocean. In the daytime, the spot welcomed children and families hungry for lunch or a cool drink on the beach. The bar also served food and alcoholic drinks long after the sun went down; it was known as a particularly friendly spot to veterans and first responders. The bar broadcast"God Bless America" on its stereo system nightly when the sun went down, and patrons often proudly sang along.

“This is a wistful moment,” acknowledged Sandy Hook Parks Superintendent Jen Nersesian. “Many good times were had watching the sunset from that deck. But it is a step forward to the next stage of building back, and building stronger and smarter for the future.”

Seagull's Nest did not close without some controversy: Like all of the beach centers on Sandy Hook, the building that housed the bar suffered extensive damage in Hurricane Sandy. The damage was basically unrecoverable, short of the entire structure being knocked down.

After the storm, the family that operated Seagull's Nest, the Segal family of Long Branch, was unable to cover the cost of repairs. According to the National Park Service, the family reached a settlement with the federal government to mutually cancel their operation agreement. The Segal family says they were forced to close because the National Park Service failed to have flood insurance for the property.

The NPS originally planned to rehabilitate the building. However, an engineering evaluation revealed that the structure was unsound and posed a serious safety risk if it remained standing.

So the long-awaited demolition project began this past Monday.

The National Park Service said they will be evaluating replacement options for what to build there in its place.

The NPS says they want "to recreate the experience the public once enjoyed at the beach center and will be considering options that not only meet visitors’ needs, but also incorporates resilient design features in the face of future storm events such as Hurricane Sandy."