The Great Neck Board of Trustees decided to hold off on doling out a $500 a day penalty against Everfresh last week, following the store’s representatives signing with a general contractor to give its facade a facelift.
Martin Salamon, the chief operations officer of Everfresh, signed onto a contract with NYC Builders Contracting Group after a Friday meeting last week, according to Building Superintendent Robert Barbach.
“At the end of our meeting, they signed the contract,” Barbach said on Monday.
Barbach previously said that based on the grocery store’s past behavior, the village had decided to “impose penalties for failing to meet certain commitments.”
One of those penalties was a deferred prosecution agreement about the facade, which involved Everfresh giving the village a $10,000 bond payment. From there, Everfresh could be fined $500 per late day if it does not finish constructing the new facade by July 1, 2018.
“In a sense, we’re obligated to start withdrawing $500 a day from their deposit unless this board so directs to extend that period of time,” Barbach said, noting that the board’s next meeting would be on July 17 and recommending foregoing the fees.
Barbach also recommended that the board “forego” implementing the fees.
Mayor Pedram Bral, who previously said he wanted to see a signed contract before making a decision, said the board would extend the deadline until July 17.
“I would extend it until the 17th and see the progress,” Bral said. “And if they have made no progress, then we can go retroactively and start.”
On Monday, Barbach said “there’s no way” Everfresh and its contractor could complete construction on the facade in that time period, but that “it’s up to the Board of Trustees” on whether or not they will apply the $500 a day penalty.
Will Ardolino, a project architect for Mojo Stumer, which is designing the renewed façade for the Middle Neck Road business, previously told trustees that they delay had to do with a busy construction market and trouble obtaining reasonable bids.
Ardolino was not immediately available for comment on Monday.
Also paired with the facade is a creation of a “pocket park,” which officials said would serve as a public space and include trees to shield refrigeration units and dilapidated fences from public view.
Barbach previously said it was “part of a comprehensive settlement of all issues,” in that Everfresh would be allowed to use a parcel of land for storage provided it improves its appearance via the park and facade upgrade.
The facade would feature aluminum wood cladding, light gray material, textured stone panel, and new lettering for “Everfresh,” a digital rendering suggests.
