Lisa Welch spent three and a half years transforming a former furniture and embalming business into apartments on Syracuse’s North Side.

But, at the end of last month, she saw her building go up in flames.

Welch’s property is one of four buildings that were destroyed in late August after a fire broke out in the 700 block of North Salina Street. The city has ordered that the buildings be demolished due to safety concerns. Property owners said that while they’re devastated by the fire, demolition was the most viable option to move forward.

The August fire began when a discarded cigarette lit up a large stack of cardboard leaning against the rear of Cities Leather and Luggage on 719 N. Salina St., according to a press release from the Syracuse Fire Department. Authorities determined the fire was accidental.

Due to wind gusts of 30 mph and hidden empty spaces inside the buildings, the fire quickly spread to neighboring buildings. More than 100 firefighters worked to clear the buildings and extinguish the fire.

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All four property owners decided to use the private contractor Crisafulli Trucking to complete the emergency demolition under supervision of the code enforcement, police and fire departments, according to a press release from Mayor Ben Walsh’s office.  

The demolition work started on Aug. 31. Anthony Crisafulli, one of the owners of Crisafulli Trucking, said they originally set out to complete the demolition in four to six weeks.

He said that it’s taking longer than expected because his workers have to control for asbestos, a toxic compound found in older buildings. They’re planning to remove debris from the area, then take down Welch’s building after.

Cities Leather and Luggage had occupied its location at 719 N. Salina St. for more than 70 years when the fire happened, according to its website. The leather repair business is currently operating from two drop-off locations.

Jim Guarasci, the current owner, declined to be interviewed for this story but said in an email that the company “need(s) to move forward.”

John Elmer, the lead pastor at the Vineyard Church on the city’s Westside, said he stood outside the buildings and prayed as he watched the firefighters tackle the flames. He recently purchased 709 N. Salina St. to transform it into a community center, he said.

“It was very emotional to be there,” he said. “Each building represents a family’s life. It was miraculous that our building didn’t get burned.”

Local churches and organizations started collecting donations to help property owners and tenants displaced by the fire. Elmer’s church is one of them.

He said his congregation has helped raise $14,000 in less than two weeks. He’s still working with his church and the North Side community to open the center, but their plans are delayed because of the accident.

“It’s incredibly sad to see this beautiful street, the center of a neighborhood, burn,” he said. “But there’s such an energy, an optimism, even in the midst of tough situations. I know that this neighborhood will rally.”

Welch’s building had been vacant for several years and required extensive renovation work when she bought it, Welch said. She purchased it because she wanted to create a sense of vibrancy on the North Side, she said, while offering affordable spaces for immigrants and refugees who want to live there and start small businesses.  

Currently, Welch doesn’t see herself rebuilding her property. She said she still needs to pay off the debt she incurred from the initial renovation.

Tawakal Market on 723 N. Salina St. caved in on itself after the fire. The business owners could not be reached for a comment. It was the first building to be completely demolished because its unstable structure posed a threat to the old firehouse next door, according to CNY Central.

Welch said the city gave the owners a short time frame to make a decision because it was hazardous to leave the buildings in place. They also had to consider the severity of the damages and the high costs of rebuilding, she said.

David Haas, a nonprofit program manager and creator of the Syracuse History Instagram account, said he felt heartbroken when he found out about the fire.

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Haas has been documenting Syracuse’s past through photographs since 2013. He said he visited the 700 block of North Salina Street a few months before the accident to witness the owners’ restoration work.

The four buildings destroyed by the fire were built in the early 1900s, according to Syracuse.com. Haas said the buildings might be even older, after seeing a piece of floorboard inside the neighboring 701-703 N. Salina St. with 1869 inscribed on it.

“To see a bunch of people come together and transform a block and then see it all go to waste just a few months later was very sad,” Haas said. “Not everybody can do what they were doing because that requires money, funding and time.”

Moving forward, Welch said it would be ideal to have a disaster response plan for old buildings in the city. Building owners need to know their options when dealing with catastrophic events like the fire, she said.

Welch also said the city should be supportive of people who want to invest their time and effort into transforming forgotten places by developing real estate assistance and teaching rehabilitation skills.

“I wanted to create a sense of vibrancy on the street with a building that looks maintained and used, lit up at night, generating traffic,” Welch said. “Just helping to rebuild the economy of what was once a really important commercial corridor in the city, that had been my vision.”

Published on September 26, 2018 at 10:42 pm

Contact Micah: mjcastel@syr.edu