Bank Completion Delayed Again

In what has been a slow process from the very beginning, the completion date of the People’s United Bank in Bayport was pushed back again to the end of the year.

John Romano, People’s United Bank Long Island regional president, said the foul weather and rain has been a constant problem for the construction of the building, causing the grand opening to be pushed back once already.

“We’ve had a significant amount of rain,” he said. “I think the last time I looked at the rain tolls in August for Suffolk County it was like triple what it normally is and that but a severe dent in what we were able to do at the site.”

The bank was originally supposed to open in May 2011, but was pushed back to the end of this summer. Now, Romano said the construction has been delayed at least 4-6 weeks more. He said not to expect the bank to be completed until the end of December or beginning of January.

However, the bank’s exterior structure and framing are nearly complete along with the interior partitions. Romano said once the weather starts to cooperate again, the next project is widening of the entrance of Bernice Drive, as agreed upon with the Bayport Civic Association before construction started.

From the look of it the site still needs a lot of work, including roadwork, sidewalk and landscaping. Romano said the roadwork has been the biggest delay, but once the outside is fully completed, it won’t take long to finish the inside.

“Typically the outside only needs to be about 80 percent completed to start the inside,” he said. “We’re at about 60 percent right now.”