Court won't hear emergency appeal to stop Greystone demolition

PARSIPPANY A state appeals court has refused to hear a preservation group's emergency appeal to delay the demolition of the old Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, which began today.

As scheduled, the work began at the 675,000-square-foot Kirkbride Building, constructed in 1876. "We started taking apart part of a roof on the structure," said Joseph Perone, a spokesman for the state Treasury Department.

The roof is on the back left side of the Kirkbride building, Perone said.

"For safety reasons, we are trying to keep people as far away as necessary because it is an active demolition zone and we don't want anyone to get hurt," Perone added in a statement issued late this afternoon.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post stated the demolition did not appear to have begun, but state officials confirmed late this afternoon it in fact has started.

Preserve Greystone's attorney, James F. Sullivan Jr., reported that the appeals court issued an order on Thursday rejecting an emergency hearing.

Preserve Greystone has been pressing a legal battle to save the Kirkbride Building and its leaders have said they will continue their fight as long as the building stands.

Sullivan and John Huebner, Preserve Greystone's president, reaffirmed that commitment after learning the demolition has started.

The legal battle will continue "as long as the building is viable," Huebner said, adding that the section of roof being removed "was probably a do-over anyway."

Sullivan said, "If anything, I'm thinking of more things I can do."

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Court won't hear emergency appeal to stop Greystone demolition