This big blaze early this morning destroyed much of the strip center on the 1500 block of Blodgett, where Gallery Jatad just opened back in June and catty-corner from the proposed site of 4 new Urban Living townhomes. According to the abc13 report, the fire sparked in the washateria on the west end of the strip center and burned east toward an about-to-open custom furniture shop and the art gallery, both of which appear to have sustained some water and smoke damage.
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No one appears to have been injured, according to abc13.
- Two-alarm fire breaks out at strip mall in Museum District [abc13]
- Previously on Swamplot: Crushing an Old One for 4 New Ones on a Museum Park Corner, A Strip Center Art Gallery Opens in Museum Park
Photos: Fred Gregory Quintero via Facebook
“Urban Living sends their deepest condolences, noting ‘we have a really good alibi for our whereabouts early Friday morning, promise.’ Condo construction on the site of the former shopping complex is expected to commece Monday and units will likely be ready for move-in by next Thursday or Friday.”
Must be time for some Afforable Luxury Townhomes!
this is what happens when you slap a
sorry looking stucco facade on a classy
old strip
I believe the building was the home for
many years to the Club LaVeek
Well at least the hoodlums that dealt dope at that corner store in the strip will be gone. Score 1 for our neighborhood! Tear it down.
@ Rusty- I used to live a couple blocks up from there. The dudes who are/were dealing dope were doing it from wherever they damn well pleased- burning down the strip just means they’ll stay in the neighborhoods (like they usually did when I lived there). The friendly guys who ran the J-Mart, on the other hand, as well as the washataria owners and the folks who were trying to set up shops at the east end of the complex are the ones who are s**t outta luck. So much for supporting small businesses, eh? If they offend delicate sensibilities by attracting poor people (all of whom look like drug dealers to condo-dwellers, apparently), burn ’em out! Boo. Not the way to build a diverse community- Condos and J-Marts can find a way to co-exist.
@DangDang. The place was still a magnet for peddlers. Best to start from scratch. How about a small grocery store with security? As far as the overall neighborhood, some police presence might help… Slowly the bad elements are leaving. Menacing foot traffic is down so that’s positive.
The article said the fire started in the washeteria. What, did a pile of hot pants sponateously combust?