A machine in downtown Seymour Tuesday.
SEYMOUR — Less than a week after a fire gutted four downtown businesses, the old building that housed them began to be dismantled Tuesday (April 26).
Demolition to the building, which was deemed a total loss by Fire Marshall Timm Willis, began Tuesday morning. It is expected to take a couple days to complete, according to First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis. Hauling away the mounds of charred and blackened contents of the building may take a while longer, she said.
Kapura General Contractors, Inc., based in Plainville, is handling the demolition. Drugonis said the state health department and the state Department of Energy and Environment Protection were involved as there was asbestos found on the scene from the crumbling roof and debris. She said Kapura, which is an abatement contractor, is monitoring the air quality.
A large yellow excavator sat in the middle of the former Rogol’s portion of the building, where it leveled the most recent occupant, an antiques store, Ro and Bette’s Attic, at 2 Bank St., and its next door neighbor, Seymour Spa, at 143 Main St.
The other two businesses lost in the blaze — Fade Away barber shop, at 4 Bank St. and The Artful Eye antique shop, at 6 Bank St.– were partially still standing Tuesday afternoon, with destroyed interior contents sitting in a massive heap.
Willis had said the cause of the fire, which occurred April 20, is still under investigation. A preliminary investigation revealed the fire have been caused by a store employee in the Artful Eye antique shop “accidentally igniting wax while polishing” merchandise, Willis said last week.
The fire quickly spread to the connected businesses, and it took some 150 firefighters from Seymour and surrounding towns about five hours to battle the blaze. Two firefighters and a merchant were treated for minor injuries.
While the fire destroyed the livelihoods of the business owners, several fundraising efforts and assistance from the town are underway to help them get back on their feet.
Drugonis said she met with two of the business owners this week, along with members of her staff, TEAM, Inc., Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Bill Purcell, representatives from the Red Cross, Spooner House, and local state lawmakers to see what can be done to help the two the spa and the barber shop, get some grant money, loans or other financial aid.
Drugonis said both the spa and the barber shop owners want to stay downtown. There are a couple of vacant storefronts in the area: the former Lizzie’s Corner on Bank Street and a former bank in the Auto Zone Plaza on First Street, where they could possibly move into.
“The main thing is to get our small businesses back up and getting them to stand on their feet,” Drugonis said. “We’re going to see if we can get them some grant money, some loans, some funding, until their insurance kicks in.”
In the meantime, several GoFundMe fundraising pages have been created to assist some of the business owners. Emily Velush, daughter of the Artful Eye owner Chris Velush, started a GoFundMe page at:
Fundraiser by Emily Lucille : Help Chris Rebuild The Artful Eye Antique Shop (gofundme.com).
She wrote on the page that her dad has been selling antiques for more than 40 years, and lost everything in the blaze. Without insurance or any inventory, Emily Velush said the loss has been “unimaginable and devastating.” So far, more than $2,700 has been raised.
Byron Dutan, owner of Fade Away Barber Shop, also started a GoFundMe page in hopes of recouping some of his loss. Dutan had been in business downtown almost two years and hopes to make “a major comeback.” More than $8,300 has been raised so far. Dutan’s GoFundMe page can be found at:
Fundraiser by Byron Dutan : Fade Away Barbershop (gofundme.com)
Another GoFundMe page for Seymour Spa was also created by a friend of the spa owner. That page can be found at:
