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Demolition has begun on burned Fieldale building
Workers have begun removing bricks from a building damaged in an October fire. The building is set to be demolished, and the owner of the business that was housed there does not know if she will rebuild. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray)
Thursday, March 14, 2013
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
One side of a building that caught fire in late October will be demolished, with no plans to rebuild. The fate of the other side is not yet known.
The 90-year-old building, which housed Patterson Vending on one side and Prosource on the other, was destroyed in the fire Oct. 27.
The building actually is two structures that appear to be one, according to Kathy Joyce, owner of Prosource. Her floor finishing company was housed in one side and Patterson Vending was on the other side.
The structure was deeded as two individual pieces of property and separated by a fire wall, Joyce said. The fire wall stood a little higher than the roof and was built as a fire retardant.
The structure was constructed around 1920. The Joyces bought their side of it 22 or 23 years ago after starting their sports hardwood flooring contracting business about 30 years ago, she said.
The company installs, refinishes, and does “all of the art work” on sports venue floors in places like gyms, YMCAs, dance studios and others, Joyce said.
Her side of the structure was gutted by the blaze, and Joyce said she is having it torn down.
The work is being completed by a demolition firm from Danville, Fire Marshal Pete Draper said Monday.
He added the cause of the blaze was undetermined.
Joyce said she did not know if she could bear to watch the demolition.
“It’s hard. It’s hard to watch that building come down,” Joyce said. “Not only did it have a lot of history before, but it had a lot of sentimental value. It housed a business we started from scratch.”
The couple does not plan to rebuild in the current economy, but will continue to operate their business in leased property in Collinsville, Joyce said.
Facing Field Avenue, the left side of the structure is owned by Donald Patterson and housed Patterson Vending, a business owned by Patterson’s son, Shawn Magee.
Magee said he is uncertain of the fate of his portion of the structure.
“I don’t know exactly what’s going on with the insurance company yet,” he said.
He also does not yet know if the portion of the building owned by his family will be rebuilt or renovated, partly because of the insurance delay and partly because “I don’t know what all the rules are as far as rebuilding.”
Currently, Magee said that he is leasing space nearby in Fieldale (formerly Ramona’s) to operate his vending business.
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