Escalating Costs Impede Efforts To Rebuild Fire-Damaged Stores In Downtown Seymour

The fire scene in April.

SEYMOUR –- Town officials are working to secure funding to help rebuild a downtown block of buildings that were destroyed by a fire in April.

Economic Development Consultant Sheila O’Malley applied for a $900,000 grant earlier this month through the state Office of Policy and Management.

O’Malley said the transit oriented district grant (which encourages pedestrian-friendly development around public transportation), if approved, can help assist the property owner of the burned-out site at 141 – 143 Main St. with efforts to rebuild.

A fire on April 20 gutted four businesses – two antique shops, a barber and a spa that were housed in the old Rogol’s building, at the corner of Bank and Main streets.

Fire Marshal Timothy Willis said subsequent follow-up investigations revealed the fire was caused by a store employee in the Artful Eye antique shop accidentally igniting wax while polishing items.

One business, Ro & Bette’s Attic, relocated to 32 Bank St., the former Lizzie’s Corner storefront and reopened June 1. The owner declined comment. Seymour Spa has plans to move into a vacant storefront on Main Street, according to First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis.

Drugonis said she was not aware of relocation plans for the other two businesses – Fade Away Barber Shop and The Artful Eye.

O’Malley gave an update about the grant application to the Economic Development Commission during its Sept. 7 meeting.

“The general gist of the grant is to spur development in the downtown area,” O’Malley told the commission. ​“We don’t want (141 – 143 Main St.) to sit there vacant forever. This is an effort to help on the town’s side of things, and to help support development there.”

O’Malley said she’d like to see the vacant hole that’s been fenced off since late April when the building was demolished come back to life with a mix of retail and residential.

“Hopefully it can be a multi-use of residential and retail development, built up with apartments and so forth,” O’Malley said. ​“Whatever we can do to assist to help revitalize the downtown area, we will. We want to see a public/private partnership and we want to incentivize the property owner to be able to restore the premises. We will support his efforts by enhancing the infrastructure, for example, with parking, lighting and sidewalks. It doesn’t do anyone any good to have a shell of a building in the middle of downtown.”

O’Malley said she expects to hear back in late October on whether Seymour gets grant approval. She added the grant has a 20 percent match on the town side.

The property owner, Lon Syla, said he would be appreciative of anything the town could do to help. Syla said he likes O’Malley’s concept of a mix of apartments and retail, but the cost to build such a development is cost prohibitive, he said.

“I’m working very hard with architects and engineers to get some cost estimates, but building materials are so expensive, I’d have to work another three jobs to pay for it,” Syla said. ​“I had insurance on the building, but the town wanted the property cleaned up right away, and between getting permits, hiring a demolition contractor and other expenses, it just sucked up most of my insurance money. It was such a costly process.”

Syla said demolition, which commenced about a week after the fire, cost him about $200,000.

Having owned the building for about 14 years now, Syla said he would like nothing more than to get something rebuilt there.

“I’m willing to work with anybody just to get this built up,” he said. ​“I hate seeing that (empty space) every time I drive by. I’ve been working with some banks, but I keep hitting these walls and can’t find any help.”

Syla said he got some estimates that if a 5,000 square foot building were put up, it would cost at least $1 million to build each floor based on today’s construction costs. He envisions a two-or-three-story building there.

“I don’t have unlimited resources, so working with the town would be a great thing,” Syla said. ​“Losing the building has been so heartbreaking for me and my family.”


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