Time capsule relics unearthed 47 years too early

BY MATTHEW LYSIAK

Tuesday, November 13th 2007, 4:00 AM
A Bay Ridge time capsule unearthed 47 years prematurely may finally find a new resting place - back in the same old hole.

The unlikely scenario of the beleaguered time capsule, which had to be disinterred after its burial site was unexpectedly sold to a developer only three years into its time travel, has taken another bizarre twist as officials push to have it buried back in the original plot.

"It may sound strange, but I would love to see the capsule back in that spot," said Bay Ridge Sesquicentennial Committee coordinator Peter Killen. "That location has historical significance and is easily accessible to everyone in our community."

The capsule could use a good rest after the past few months it has had.

It was originally buried in 2003, during an elaborate ceremony, on the front lawn of the Bay Ridge Funeral Home at 7614 Fourth Ave., but was dug up in February 2006 to make room for condos after the owners sold the property to developers Nizar Khoury and Moussa Khalil.

"I was absolutely furious," said committee co-chair Ted General. "No one informed us that the capsule was going to be disturbed, and for a few days we didn't even know its whereabouts."

The capsule was resting undisturbed in Khoury's garage, but when committee members discovered its location, they arranged for it to be housed at the Fort Hamilton Harbor Defense Museum, where it will stay until a permanent home can be found.

"We'll store it for as long as you like; it's our pleasure," Col. Tracey Nicholson, commander of Fort Hamilton, told the committee at a ceremony.

Of course, it wasn't supposed to be this complicated.

The original idea was to preserve a piece of the past as a way of commemorating Bay Ridge's 150th anniversary.

The group collected newspapers, pictures, photo books, menus and just about everything to help future generations understand what life was like in the year 2003.

Construction on the favored site won't be completed for another two years, but if the capsule ends up going back into the same grave, the developer promised it will have a much deeper slumber.

"We would like to see the capsule on our property and it is our desire to make that happen," said Khoury. "A seven-story building is going up in that spot, and I can promise you those buildings won't be moving an inch before 2053."