The tower that stands on the Cerro Wire property in Syosset might not be standing much longer. The Town of Oyster Bay is currently completing the necessary paperwork to issue a demolition permit to the Taubman Company, the developer that proposed an 860,000 square foot mall on the property - a case currently being determined by the courts.

On March 8, the Taubman company submitted an application to the town board for a demolition permit, which would allow them to demolish all structures on the 39-acre defunct copper wire manufacturing plant, which is marked by an old, brown water tower.

Local labor union workers showed up at the March 9 town board meeting and addressed the board during the public comment segment and told the board how beneficial it would be to the union workers if this mall were built.

"Those who spoke went through a lot of the dialogue about how important this is to the labor unions and the work it will provide, short and long term," said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto.

Referring to the issuance of a demolition permit, Venditto explained that he first had to check with council to see if the pending court appeal prohibited the town from issuing the permit and secondly had to talk to the committee to make sure that the application is in order.

After looking into both issues, there was no legal obstacle in issuing the demolition permit. "The department of planning and development is currently reviewing the application, just like they would with any application. From what I am told the application appears to be in order and over the next couple of weeks, the application will be processed and, assuming that all standards are met, the permit will be issued," said Venditto, who also said he doesn't want local residents to be alarmed - this is a permit for demolition and not to build.

Mark Bulmash, the Taubman Company's group vice president for development, said the demolition project would be done completely by union labor. "I am willing to take the risk [in funding the demolition] because I feel that the project is inevitable and that the courts are going to support the previous decisions," said Bulmash.

The demolition on the site is something that all sides can agree on. "The community is also in favor of demolishing the buildings and the tower because it is an eyesore, however it doesn't mean that the mall fight is over," said Todd Fabricant, chairman of the Cerro Wire Coalition, a group of 26 civic groups opposed to the development. "It doesn't mean that [the Taubman Company] is prepared to put a shovel in the ground."

Also at the meeting, during the conversation with the labor representatives, Venditto suggested a "sit-down" with all parties involved in the Cerro Wire case. "I said something to them at the meeting - something that I had said many times before. I said to a couple of the labor leaders that this would be a good time to get all of the various interests at one place and at one time and sit down to explore whether or not there is a way to amicably resolve the matter."

The timing of this suggested sit-down comes while the case is still in the court system. After an appeal by the town and local civics that intervened in the case, the Appellate Division is currently reviewing the case.

"I am mindful of the timing of what I said," said Venditto. "We are rapidly approaching the ultimate determination of the court where there is no compromise, the courts are simply going to decide what happens here. Sometimes the courts can do things that will make everyone unhappy. This seemed like a good opportunity to say to everyone that since it is 11:59, so to speak, it might be a good time to control our own destiny. I don't see the harm in doing that. This really has never been done."

Bulmash said he is open to dialogue between all involved parties, as long as it is in the right setting. "We are encouraged that the town appears willing to have constructive dialogue with us regarding the project," he said. "We are willing to sit down with the town. I don't want to be in a situation where it is a free-for-all. It has to be a productive situation because I don't want yelling and screaming like we have had in the past. I have had many discussions with people in the community who have basically concluded that the mall is inevitable. They would like a settlement and would rather a settlement than litigation - we would as well. If the town follows on their expressed willingness to talk and sets up a time and place for discussions, we will be there."

Bulmash also spoke about the possibility of a compromise coming from the conversations. "We are willing to compromise on many aspects of the mall, including the size," he said. "We have been trying to have discussions on this for a long time with the town. I want to settle this thing and get it done now and make it something that the community feels they had a part in, but in an organized setting."

The possibility of a sit-down came as a shock to some local residents, especially Fabricant. "The Cerro Wire Coalition, which has a support base of 26 civic and business organizations representing 40,000 residents, stands by its commitment," he said. "Our position is not to be sitting down at any table to resolve any issue. Our position is still 'no mall here.' We stand united, we will not be divided - 'no mall here'."

To some, this situation resembles other development cases in the Town of Oyster Bay, namely the Underhill Property in Jericho and the Liberty Site in Farmingdale where both cases spanned decades and, in the end, it was compromise, not courts, that decided the outcome.

"There have been many situations where this approach has worked," said Venditto. "The Underhill Site in Jericho and the Liberty Site in Farmingdale are the best examples. We, meaning my entire administration, have amicably and favorably resolved the problems and controversy at both sites. I will make an effort to use that same approach with the Cerro Wire property. I would like to at least start the process by generating this kind of a meeting and see where this dialogue takes us."

Venditto said he left the possibility of a sit-down between all involved parties up to the union workers. "I said to the Building and Trades Union representatives that were at the meeting to reach out to the community and community leaders who have been involved in the process and if they are amenable, I will host the meeting," he said. "We can begin the process of exploring. I don't see what the harm is. If nothing comes of it at least we can say we tried to control our own destiny as opposed to having a court thrust a decision at us."

Bulmash is anxious to get this mall built. "The sooner we can do this, the sooner the town, county and state can start receiving tax dollars and people can get jobs," he said. "It is really sad that those things are being put on hold given the context that the county is going though with its finances."

The possibility of a sit-down has no influence on the current court case, which is still ongoing. "I still feel confident about our position," said Venditto. "You would have to be living in a fools paradise if you were convinced that you were going to win - there is no guarantee. We want to do the right thing by the community."