Roof collapses at Sandy Hook's Fort Hancock

SANDY HOOK – No one was injured when the roof of a former barracks building at Fort Hancock partially collapsed overnight, the National Park Service has confirmed.

The collapse was not unexpected, according to Daphne Yun, spokeswoman for Gateway National Recreation Area.

"We did know that there was a chance that the roof would collapse because last fall one of the main support beams punctured the wall," she said.

Building 23 had been closed to the public and a fence was erected around it, Yun said.

The partial collapse occurred on the eve of the deadline for proposals to lease six buildings on the fort. Gateway announced a pilot phase to lease six buildings for private use as part of a wider redevelopment initiative. Two of these buildings were to be made into bed and breakfasts, two converted to residences or residence/offices and two to house non-profits or educational facilities. Building 23 was not up for lease.

It is the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee's position that "the best way to preserve the buildings is to use them," Yun said.

The structural integrity of Building 23 was brought up during a meeting of the committee, which is steering the redevelopment, but it was decided that their efforts should be focused on preserving buildings that were more sound. It would have cost $1 million to stabilize it, she added.

Fort Hancock was established to protect New York Harbor in 1895. It was transferred to the control of the National Park Service after it was deactivated by the U.S. Army on Dec. 31, 1974.

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@GannettNJ.com