Dad of R.I. club fire victim wants memorial at site

WARWICK, R.I. — The father of one of those who died in the Station Nightclub fire is calling on Rhode Island to take the land on which the nightclub sat by eminent domain for a memorial.

Dave Kane tells WPRI-TV he’s upset over plans to put a memorial for fire victims on another site.

Kane’s son, 18-year-old Nicholas O’Neill, was the youngest of 100 people who died after pyrotechnics sparked the fire during a concert by the rock group Great White on February 20, 2003.

Groundbreaking for the new memorial in Apponaug is scheduled for Wednesday.

A private company owns the former Station site in West Warwick, and has turned down offers for the property.

Kane says those owners have displayed selfishness, ignorance and a disregard of the victims’ families.