Crews forced to demolish Narragansett building

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WPRI) -- It's been three weeks since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the East Coast, and the damage at one beach is so bad that crews actually have to demolish one of the waterfront buildings.

The cleanup is ongoing at Narragansett Town Beach, and we're told that demolition will begin on Tuesday.

An estimated 20,000 yards of sand was lost during the storm, and piles are currently sitting in nearby parking lots, waiting to be returned to the shoreline.

The force of the water heavily damaged part of the cabanas on the beach, one half spun around and now sits facing the opposite direction.

"We took a substantial hit, particularly with the storm surge,"  said Steven Wright, Director of Narragansett Parks and Recreation. "Storm surge lifted them off their foundation and then split them in half, and we're actually going to be demolishing those tomorrow."

The department hopes to replace those cabanas by next summer. The clubhouse lost stairways, so events there had to be rescheduled or canceled. Plumbing underneath the north pavilion was damaged, but the buildings fared relatively well during the storm. One of the worst hit areas, however, was the south parking lot.

"That has some very large pavement removal and stone, capstones, that's in rough shape," added Wright.

The cost for all of the repairs is beginning to add up, but Wright says they'll be open for business no matter what.

"Just to replace staircases, cabanas, parking lots, fencing- literally hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said. "One way or another, we will be open this coming summer. We may not look the same, but we will be open."

The process of getting money from insurance and federal sources to repair and rebuild the town beach has already begun, and they're hoping to get that money soon.