The former Charlie’s Inn restaurant and bar in Throggs Neck has recently been demolished to make way for three 2-family homes along Harding Avenue.
The restuarant, owned for decades by the Gallagher family, closed its doors in 2007 and has sat vacant for years.
Charlie’s Inn was a popular meeting place for neighborhood residents, and its loss was felt when the business shut down, said Throggs Neck Home Owners Association president Lynn Gerbino.
“We went there all the time,” said Gerbino. “It just felt like home.”
The restaurant hosted meetings and events for local veterans organizations and the St. Patricks Day Committee, she said, in addition to being the go-to place to commemorate milestones.
“Everybody went there to celebrate,” said Gerbino. “Baptisms, birthdays, communions, everything.”
It was sad to see the site lay vacant and in disrepair for years, and Gerbino said she’s glad that the redevelopment is moving forward. The new private homes will be a big improvement for the area.
The construction permits for the lots between Balcolm and Graff avenues were filed by Royal Engineering, P.C. based in Queens.
Councilman James Vacca has been keeping an eye on the project, and said his only concern with the development so far is making sure the buillders provide the minium of three parking spaces per two-family home.
A two-family home can add four or more cars to the already existing parking problem, he said.
“If you live in that part of Throggs Neck, people will attest to the necessity of adequate parking,” said Vacca.
