Fate unclear for North Side Minneapolis buildings ravaged by fire

Uncertainty looms over one of the last historic stretches of W. Broadway in Minneapolis as businesses and tenants recover from the blaze that gutted a row of apartments and several storefronts on April 15.

Many expected the city would simply tear down the most damaged properties — a precaution taken when buildings might collapse — but officials say they will instead allow owners to determine whether they can be salvaged. That's no small order along the North Side's prime commercial corridor, which has struggled to attract private investment even under normal circumstances.

The properties have added significance, however, as some of the few remaining vestiges of W. Broadway's heyday as a shopping center. Built between 1893 and 1910, they feature what is likely the city's oldest grocery store: Brix Grocery & Meat. One-hundred and twenty-two years after W.C. Brix opened his store on W. Broadway, its current owner, Nader Abuammo, is committed to rebuilding. A sturdy ceiling miraculously protected the shop from the fire that destroyed the apartments upstairs, but smoke penetrated the walls and water covered the floors. A new roof is needed.

"I'd like to go back to business as usual," said Abuammo, who thanks God he had insurance. "Open and dealing with my customers, vendors and the community. I can't stay home watching the Discovery Channel."

Other owners are less optimistic. Charlie Rossley bought the building at 911 W. Broadway about 15 years ago, just before Lila's dress shop ended its 54-year run in its storefront. He installed marble countertops and maple cabinets in the apartments and replaced parts of the store's tin ceiling with 1899 panels shipped from New York City. Now he says the property, recently home to community group Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, "looks like World War II."

"I don't think it's viable. I don't think my insurance would pay for the rebuild," Rossley said. "But this is all conjecture. I'm just waiting to hear more from [the city] and then I suppose I could get bids and see what it looks like."

Down the block at Paradise Beauty Salon, owner Marie Egbujor is repainting the walls and working on getting her gas restored, with hopes to open this week or next. Water damaged her basement and the smell of smoke filled the store — a number of smoky weaves must be tossed.

Neighborhoods Organizing for Change moved into Emerge Community Development space several blocks away. Representatives from Unbank, behind which it is believed the fire started, did not return messages seeking comment.

While insurance may help some of the property owners recover, many of the apartment tenants lost everything they had. On a recent afternoon, Miguel Flores eyed the ruins while leaning on the hood of his Buick — a car where he now sleeps occasionally. Before the fire, he had just purchased a car seat, a swing and a crib for his newborn baby.

"The nurse said we need everything for safety and all this stuff, so we just spent … buying this stuff. Gone," said Flores, who works temporary jobs and takes English classes on Lake Street. His wife and two children are now staying with his mother-in-law.

Armed with a bag of clothes and peanuts for feeding the local squirrels, Jeff Hornbeck also mingled amid the debris Thursday, wondering what to do next.

"This is where I worked and lived," said Hornbeck, who had been remodeling one of the apartments. "I'm trying to get [the smoke] out of my lungs, because I had a paper mask. But I've got nothing else to do but hang around here."

"Without NOC, we wouldn't have got a chunk of change," Hornbeck said.

Eleven units were affected by the fire and between 19 and 22 adults lost their belongings, said Linda Bryant with Emerge Community Development, a local nonprofit organization aiding the victims. Eight families still need housing or at least shelter, she said, since their initial shelter stays began expiring this week.

"We've been working with landlords here in Minneapolis," Bryant said. "The issue is the rents have to be affordable for the people that we're talking about. And that's one of the biggest problems."

The cause of the fire remains unknown; nobody was killed in the blaze. An arson investigation is continuing, but police spokesman John Elder offered no specific updates other than that samples are being analyzed. City staff said the Unbank property and apartments were last inspected in August 2014, following up on July orders to repair a rear door, rotten wood and a leaky roof.

Allan Olson, the city's manager of construction code services, said the city could still decide to demolish buildings if they deteriorate further. But barring that, they will advise owners which unsafe conditions must be fixed before the properties can be inhabited. Owners could choose to restore or demolish the buildings, but tearing them down would spur a historic preservation analysis. If owners don't comply, the city could initiate its own demolition.

"There are circumstances that have taken place where a building has been severely damaged but with enough resources and those type of things, any building can be put back into service," Olson said.

Council Member Blong Yang said the city was considering aiding the effort with a specific revolving loan program or other subsidy — similar to what occurred after the 2011 tornado. But city spokesman Matt Lindstrom said this idea was dropped in favor of existing financing tools available to help rebuild.

"We've got to figure out what needs to go on there at this point. And we have to do it fast," Yang said. "Because I think the community has a certain expectation that we need to put something up there."

Eric Roper • 612-673-1732

Twitter: @StribRoper