New Haven Independent: Fire Damage Totals $10M

Fire Damage Totals $10M

by Melissa Bailey | December 12, 2007 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

(Updated: 5:32 p.m.) A fire that ripped through a downtown block Wednesday morning has destroyed at least six businesses and incurred $10 million in damages, city officials say.

Firefighters were still pouring water into the shells of downtown stores at 5 p.m. Wednesday, as the city began to recover from a major blaze that destroyed a New Haven landmark and sent the city center into a frenzy for the greater part of the day.

The fire, the biggest downtown has seen in decades, started in the middle of the former Kresge department store, in the center of the block between Center and Chapel Streets. It was reported at 6:33 a.m. and was under control by 9:50 a.m., according to mayoral spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga. The fire ruined at least six businesses, but no one was hurt. Firefighters were able to keep the flames away from other stores, apartments and condos on that block.

Mayorga said at 5 p.m. inspectors had not yet entered the charred stores to probe the cause of the fire, which remained undetermined.

Residents of two evacuated apartment buildings were allowed to return to their homes, and Church and Orange Streets were reopened Wednesday afternoon. Gov. M. Jodi Rell paid a rare visit to New Haven to assess the damage, offering words of support but no specific state aid proposal, according to Mayorga.

Mayorga said the city has assessed the economic impact of the fire at $10 million. That includes physical damage and loss of revenue, she said.

No one was injured in the three-alarm fire, said Mayor John DeStefano at a mid-morning press briefing, while hoses still blasted the wreckage of the Kresge building.

Firefighters got tipped off from a neighbor’s call at 6:33 a.m. this morning. The fire appears to have started towards in the central most part of the block, behind the Brass Monkey bar on Center Street, according to Fire Marshal Joe Cappucci.

Cappucci said the Kresge building, a former department store with a facade on Chapel Street (pictured) and rear exit on Center, would likely have to be demolished because the whole roof had caved in.

Outside the Dunkin’ Donuts at Center and Chapel at 9:30 a.m., the Bonanno family huddled. They looked down Center Street (pictured) at Vito’s deli, the popular sandwich shop they’ve run for 34 years. DeStefano later reported, to their relief, that the shop was not touched by the fire. Smoke and water damage appeared likely, however.

Alex Marathas, who manages the old Kresge/Grant buildings, a key piece of downtown real estate, stood by watching his dreams go up in smoke. The double-T-shaped building stands in the center of the prime block of Church, Chapel, Orange and Center, with entrances on each side of the block. For years the building was neglected, in disrepair amid multi-million dollar redevelopment projects. The second story has remained empty for many years. New owners bought it earlier this year. (Click here for a story about that.) Marathas manages the property for its new owners, who were in the conceptual phase of redesigning it.

Around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday Marathas stood outside the smoke-filled building watching firefighters hose down the building’s blighted top floor and ascend ladders to enter through the second-story windows.

The owners hadn’t started renovating the building yet, Marathas said. “Now I wonder what’s going to happen.” All six businesses hit hardest by the fire were on the properties Marathas manages. He said the buildings did have fire insurance. He regretted that so many small shops would have to miss out on the holiday shopping season.

According to city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga, six of the 14 retail stores on that block were damaged beyond repair: Expressions, Mad Rag, and New Haven Furniture, and Chinatown on Chapel were burnt out, as was the Brass Monkey bar on Center Street (pictured). The New Haven Variety Store on Church was suffering from four feet of standing water, reported DeStefano.

A total 65 firefighters (including Ishmael Cruz, pictured at the top of this story) from 11 of the city’s 12 engine companies fought tirelessly to contain the blaze, Grant said. He commended them for keeping the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. There are 96 residential units on that block, as well as a parking garage. All the apartments were evacuated safely, and residents were given a safe haven to warm up at the nearby Starbucks.

Dee Dee Anderson, who lives at Orange and Center, went out to get coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts around 6:30 a.m. “I looked up and saw a big old black cloud coming out of the Brass Monkey.” She rushed home to make sure her daughter was OK, which she was. Smoke filled the apartment; they fled for safety.

Watching from the Green later in the morning as firefighters shot water into Chapel Street buildings, Anderson feared for the fate of stores like the Foot Locker and Expressions. “It’s terrible,” she said. “This will affect us for a long time. Now we got nowhere to shop.”

The mayor’s chief of staff, Sean Matteson, was one of the first eyewitnesses on the scene. He was getting a cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts around 6:30 at Center and Church. As he started to walk back to City Hall, he saw flames shooting up 15 feet high at the Brass Monkey as well as at the Kresge building on Chapel. As fire trucks arrived, Matteson rushed back to City Hall to tell the mayor, who was already at work.

The fire marshal and police were expected to enter the buildings to assess the damage and probe the cause, but not until after the last embers had been put out, Mayorga said.

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Comments

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 12, 2007 10:53 AM

All our tenants are not allowed back in for a while. We need a ton of inspections before we can do that. But the firefighters are allowing the escorts to there apartments to retrieve a few things. But thank god the GREAT fire fighter of new have managed to keep it from spreading to our side!!!!

Posted by: Sigrid Smith | December 12, 2007 4:13 PM

Thank you for this report. I saw all of the excitement downtown at noon but didn't know what had happened. I came home and checked online. The Register Online is useless and there was a small report in the Courant and in the Connecticut Post. The Independent is the only place where I found a comprehensive report with good photos and lots of information.

Thanks for your work!

Sigrid Smith

Posted by: Esbe | December 12, 2007 6:27 PM

Great coverage by the NHI; thank God no one was hurt.

These buildings have been a blight on New Haven for a long, long time. The broken, ugly, "New Haven Variety" facade just drives me crazy -- I am sure that nasty bit of blight alone costs Cedarhillresident's bosses a ton of money in lost rentals, and many loss sales for the adjacent condos.

I really hope the tenant businesses have good insurance, in addition to the fire insurance for the building owners. The building owners might not be so hurt by this -- it might be easier to take the insurance money, tear the buildings down and start over.

Posted by: visitor | December 12, 2007 9:52 PM

just ensure stylistic and historic integrity when rebuilding. otherwise, new haven will look like hartford: trashy, with a stunning building next to a gas station and a 1960's brick box building.

Posted by: Dean Moriarty | December 12, 2007 11:19 PM

I agree with Sigrid's post. The NHI is unbeatable for up to the minute coverage. I wanted info on this fire this morning. Local television stations all had their talk show/cooking/Regis/Dr. Phil junk on, with only occasional updates. And local radio? Forget it. I'm not sure WELI even knows where New Haven is located anymore. Frustrating, when you want to know what is going on. Our local media is in a sad state. Thank you NHI for filling the void. Also, Incredible photos from Ms. Bailey. The shot of the firefighter taking off his boot deserves to be up for a photo journalism award. Great job, NHI!

Posted by: charlie | December 13, 2007 11:45 AM

I agree. Apply for the Pulitzer!

Posted by: nfjanette | December 13, 2007 1:57 PM

Great, timely reporting. If more people were willing to pay for it, NHI could have more people available to cover such news on a daily basis. That's the rub, isn't it? We like the coverage, but don't want to pay for it. Perhaps NHI could more actively try to reach out to it's readers to submit such reporting with pictures/video.

As for the fire, I'm glad no one was hurt. I have to admit the first thought that can through my mind when I saw the story was, "urban renewal". That block has needed help for a long time. Here's my idea: build a new department store like the fine old ones that once served the city so well. Theaters and expensive condos look nice, but we need a place like Grants/Kresge/etc. to serve the needs of all of those new downtown residents.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 13, 2007 2:11 PM

nfjanette

We were just saying the same thing! How great it would be if they could get a store like Kresge's 5 and dime back down town! It had everything! What a draw that would be....but it must have the old soda fountain dinner area! (one if my first jobs was there! I loved that store). The possibility for that block can be wonderful for the downtown area if done right.

I am very sad for those who's store were destroyed and hope that they can become a part of the renewal of the important block to the city. Or at the least be relocated to an equal property.

But I can see people ready eyeballing the block for development.

And Melissa the fireman pic is my screensaver right now! best picture yet!!

Posted by: Geecor | December 13, 2007 3:11 PM

It's too bad the variety store on Church was damaged. It came the closest to an old fashioned 5&10 or local hardware store in the city. There is a need for quality variety, hardware and food market stores, possibly a "mart" leasing space to vendors of reasonably priced items, in downtown. But they would only succeed if the people working in downtown join with the increasing residential community living in downtown both support such a venture. An introductory marketing program by the Town Green organization, the City, Chamber of Commerce, business organizations, etc., would be critical to it's success. What we don't need is another coffee shop or bar/nightclub or restaurant.

Posted by: zulu143 | December 13, 2007 8:13 PM

I would like to add my commendation to the New Haven Independent as well for filling the void that has been vacated by the New Haven Register.

With regards to what replaces this building, I won't join the debate about the best use of the space. Any devloper will do the due dillegence to determine what mix of business/residential would succeed there.

What I think is not given enough consideration is the quality of modern New Haven's build environment. The historic buildings have detailing and high quality materials (e.g. carved masonry) that gives downtown the character that most people respond to when coming here. With the newer construction, however, developers too often find it not eonomical to match the detaling and other high design characteristics of the surrounding buidings that were built in the age of craftsmen.

So for whatever gets built in that space I say think QUALITY first.

Posted by: dylan | December 13, 2007 10:16 PM

a mid-price department store in the area would be incredible. it's the sort of thing everybody needs. but lets remember that the underlying reason most of the department stores closed was because they couldn't compete with all the parking offered at suburban sprawl malls. the retail resurgence we've seen in downtown has been of the boutique variety, partly because these stores don't require nearly as much patronage in order to succeed. the mass appeal of a department store is its blessing and its curse.

if people really want department store (this really goes for a successful retail downtown that will satisfy most of people's needs) there a few options. Since surface parking eats up so much space, its pretty much self defeating from a density and walkability stand point. That leaves structured parking which takes up less space. The trouble is that it is very expensive (as much as $25,000 per space - underground would be better, but that's even more expensive). If we really want successful retail in the downtown in the long term, clearly defined, consistent public transit into the neighborhoods, like that that was in place during the time of succcessful downtown department stores (they were in decline and on their way out at the time when most of us remember them, actually).

I, for one, hope that the feasibility study being done by Transystems takes this downtown viability into account when assessing the potential of streetcars returning to the streets of the Elm City.

Posted by: RadicalProf | December 13, 2007 10:47 PM

The Brass Monkey, though new, was the best club in New Haven. Great nightclub atmosphere - very diverse crowd, everyone was welcome. And for an amazing live jazz show on monday night, the place transformed into a cozy lounge with comfy chairs, couches, tables with candles. It was amazing. New Haven lost what could have been a major institution for years to come.

Posted by: Chris Gray | December 14, 2007 3:28 AM

Mass transit, mass transit, mass transit!

This is what makes cities livable, makes urban retail viable, and makes the environment healthier. It can't just serve neighborhoods; it has to serve the region.

Parking lots are alien architecture. Who would ever design one with quality in its details?

Meanwhile, Nfjanette's thought on "urban renewal" came to more than my mind; a relative suggested it was "Italian lightening".

I remember watching the aftermath of the fire at the old Pub on Chapel Street, from an overlooking third story apartment, which seemed more like destruction of evidence than an investigation. Then, the brand new arson squad ignored my nose witness testimony about the smell of accelerant on a firebug clerk in the store right next to it and pinned the crime on a guy who had to keep paying rent on the adjoining restaurant, also destroyed, even after he went out of business.

Is the Mayor always in his office at 6:30 in the morning? Has Jodi Rell ever been in New Haven before noon before?

We sure were lucky about the weather, as well.

Posted by: dylan | December 14, 2007 9:51 AM

Chris Gray,

Agreed, that transit needs to serve the region as well as neighborhoods. My only caveat is that it need not try and serve every sprawled residential location outside of new haven. Trains like MetrNorth, shorline east, and the eventual Hartford/Sprinfield line can get to larger destinations outside of New Haven, but the more local tier of transit should be limited to city neighborhoods and dense parts of West Haven, Hamden and East Haven.

As for that time the Mayor gets to work. Though it's not covered as news during ordinary times, from what I gather he's in before 7 on a pretty regular basis. I know much of the NHI readership might not want to believe this, and certainly might disagree with him and his decisions on many accounts, but there's no doubt the man works hard cares about the city he's lived in his whole life. Jodi on the other hand? Well, it just might be her first time. But who doesn't love a good photo opportunity, right?

Posted by: Michael P Roke | December 14, 2007 12:09 PM

Take a good look at one of the best fire departments in the country! NHFD, under the leadership of Chief Grant, has always had a glowing reputation for progressiveness and overall excellent operational capability. The well trained and highly capable officers and crews displayed this great service at the downtown fire with their typical aggressive yet composed style of urban fire fighting. The planning, management, training, prevention and enforcement taken on by NHFD every day is always behind the brave and difficult task of containing and extinguishing fires like this one from becoming an all out conflagration in the heart of the city. Thank you NHI for the great photos!

Posted by: WEBbloger 1 | December 14, 2007 4:08 PM

Well how about a big shout-out for the New Haven Fire Department, who quickly got this fire under control and prevented more expansive damage.

Well done NHFD and NHPD.
Your tax dollars at work.

Posted by: fly on the wall | December 15, 2007 12:45 AM

NEW HAVEN FIREFIGHTERS ARE FOR REAL!!

We only seem to hear about all the problems with the fire department ie; fights,race problems,too much overtime,promotional exams, commishioner/felon, ect., Forget all the negative and remember the downtown fire of 2007 ! Coming over the Q bridge, flames and smoke filled the sky, as I approached my downtown office the smoke was unbearable and my heart was racing when I saw the intense flames shooting up into the sky. What I will remember most is the fireman of NEW HAVEN and the unbelievable job they performed ! They are truly the bravest. They were amazing, working together to prevent losing an entire city block. They were totally professional and fearless to the danger of a fire of this magnitude. My cousin is a firefighter in a nearby town, makes more money and does less work than the firefighters in New Haven but he has said in the past he wished he was "on the job" in New Haven. Despite knowing he was a little touched !, I still had to ask why? his reply, "THEY ARE THE REAL DEAL" ! Merry Christmas
to the New Haven Firefighters and GOD BLESS YOU ALL !

Posted by: Ned | December 16, 2007 1:37 PM

"Your tax dollars at work." If tax dollars had really been at work, before the fire, the buildings would have been torn down or rehabilitated and brought up to code, with sprinkler systems, or secured against squatters, many years ago. Aren't tax dollars supposed to make sure that buildings are maintained to certain standards rather than left to decay and become public safety hazards? (especially to fire fighters). Sprinkle some flower in the Ikea parking lot and the city is all over that. Allow buildings to decay, in the central business district - no problem, the city will put out the fire - no charge - and even pay for the demolition.

Posted by: Ned | December 16, 2007 9:33 PM

oops, flour, not "flower". Also, why has the city allowed the badly burned building, on Winchester Ave., near Woodland St. to remain standing?

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 17, 2007 8:50 AM

Ned

They are suppose to...I have the same question in my area. I have business running, they got no permits for electric or plumbing or demolition. They are in operation without a CO and the city knows all about it...lied and said the had permits and were inspected....but yet know papers have ever but it. They are using a condemnable area of the building for illegal activity. I would love to know who's friends they are that they are allowing this...second I feel for the propertys next to them, when it goes up in smoke.

New Haven Independent

Fire Damage Totals $10M

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