Former Hot Dog Charlie's and Trader Ed’s Nautical Pub in Troy demolished

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Troy City Mayor Carmella Mantello issued an emergency declaration for the immediate demolition of two 18th century buildings in north Troy.

Phil Hare lived just down the street from Hot Dog Charlie’s former location on 2nd Avenue in north Troy. He said his father would send him to the restaurant in his earlier years, “My dad gave me $2 to come down and get ten hotdogs. You know, when they were $0.20 apiece.”

His daughter Katie remembered the aromas coming from the restaurant. She grew up just down the block, “We used to smell the onions being freshly cut in the morning. That was a very like evident smell.”

Others in the neighborhood remember the popular Hot Dog spot for the quirky service. “The way they used to serve the hot dogs. He used to just place some on your arm and his arm, and then he’d put the toppings on,” said Momma’s House owner Tinamarie Predel.

Sandy Hair said the quirkiness was a part of the charm, “It was just normal, you know.”

But the mayor said despite this rich history the building also posed a public safety concern. “One of our code enforcement officers who was driving by today, he noticed some work being done and there was no permit. So, the new owner hired someone to do, unfortunately, some shoddy work. They were ripping off the roof.”

Mayor Mantello said she brought in the fire chief and an outside engineer to evaluate the buildings. “Immediately deemed unsafe, about ready to collapse. There literally was a beam with a rope holding up parts of the building.”

And it wasn’t just Hot Dog Charlies that posed a threat to public safety. She explained that next door, Trader Ed’s Nautical Pub, which has been vacant for over a decade, also needed to come down. “The owner pretty much gutted it and unfortunately ripped out this other wall, which is connected to the former Hot Dog Charlies. The engineer stated it’s going to collapse if not today, over the weekend.”

Now that the buildings are gone, neighboring businesses said they are keeping an eye on the newly freed up space. “We need a bigger place. So, we need a second store. And I was looking at Trader Ed’s, but it wasn’t big enough,” explained Predel.

Yet, others want another restaurant to fill the now vacant space. “There are really no places to go get like eggs and bacon, you know? So, something like that would be nice. A nice diner,” said Phil.

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