By Howard Koplowitz
A bunker hidden in a wooded area across the street from the Padavan Campus in Glen Oaks that served as a teen hangout and a canvas for graffiti has since been sealed up.
Known as “The Cave” to Bellerose civic leaders after a graffiti marking at the entrance, the structure was recently sealed up with concrete by the state Office of Mental Health and the entrance filled with earth to prevent teens from congregating inside.
Beer bottles were strewn about the structure and a rusting car and a corroded tractor sat outside its entrance. The car and tractor have since been hauled inside the cave before it was sealed.
“It was one of those things that had to be taken care of,” said state Sen. Frank Padavan (R−Bellerose), who had urged OMH to clean up The Cave. “I’m glad we got it done. It was long overdue.”
The site is part of state property, where the newly opened Queens Children’s Psychiatric Center is situated at 74−03 Commonwealth Blvd., across the street from the Frank Padavan Campus at Glen Oaks.
Ray Pascual, the assistant business officer for the psychiatric center, said it cost $10,000 to clean up The Cave. He said the project was completed Monday.
“We had no idea that people were getting in there until we saw all the graffiti,” he said.
Civic leaders were concerned that The Cave was being used by neighborhood teenagers as a hangout.
Colorful graffiti still covers the outside of the cave, which included a number of tags and the phrase “All you toys jock my style.”
“My main concern was the safety of the kids around here from the cave we have,” said North Bellerose Civic Association President Bruno DeFranceschi, referring to The Cave being across the street from the Padavan Campus, which contains three schools.
Glen Oaks Village President Bob Friedrich, who is running for City Council in 2009, applauded the sealing of the cave but said the job was not finished.
“I am a little disappointed that they didn’t remove the graffiti and do a thorough cleanup of the grounds,” he said.
Lucy DeFranceschi, the graffiti chairwoman of the North Bellerose Civic Association, said she intends to get permission to clean up the scrawlings.
She said she plans to conduct the cleanup before the weather gets colder.
“A nice gray paint will do,” Bruno DeFranceschi said.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e−mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 173.
