Nathan’s Famous building on 86th Street finally demolished
Nathan’s Famous, at 650 86th St., grilled its last hot dogs on Jan. 6, 2019 and was sold to the NYC School Construction Authority by Allied Properties for $25 million that June. Although some asbestos abatement work was done, the building had been sitting idle and had become an eyesore.
Recently, the SCA hired AMG Demolition, Inc. of Melville, N.Y., to finally take down the derelict structure and pave the way for a five-story, 550-seat public middle school, designated I.S. 322, which won’t be completed until September 2024. The Empire State Building, by comparison, was completed in one year and 45 days.
Nathan’s, with its drive-through window and large parking lot, was a popular destination for more than 40 years. Previously the site was the home of Mitchell’s Drive-in – which featured female carhops on roller skates delivering fast food to parked cars – and later Wetson’s Hamburgers.