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Ballard community helps businesses destroyed in major fire, building 'beyond repair'

The owners of a building that was destroyed in a commercial fire in October filed permits to demolish the property.

SEATTLE — The building that housed four businesses destroyed in a major fire in Ballard last month will be demolished.

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) issued demolition permits to the building owners on Oct. 15, and the owners' representative told the department the building would be completely removed by Dec. 1, according to SDCI spokesperson Moon Callison.

“The building is beyond repair, and the north wall is at risk of collapsing into the structure to the north along 24th Avenue NW,” SDCI Director Nathan Torgelson wrote in an Oct. 21 memo.

The owners also applied for permits on Tuesday to cap the building’s side sewer at the property line.

The fire, which broke out Oct. 7, destroyed La Isla restaurant, Supercuts, Kitchen N Things, and Coleman Jewelers. It caused about $1.5 million in damage to property and about $1.5 million in damage to contents. Investigators determined the fire likely started due to an overheated electrical in the space between the ceiling and the roof.

Also see | Business owners survey damage from Ballard fire linked to overheated ceiling

Building owners plan to demolish the building after asbestos and lead abatement is completed for the building and the adjacent right-of-way, according to Torgelson. However, the owners haven't given SDCI an exact start date for the demolition, according to Callison.

There haven’t been any permits filed for construction on the property once the buildings are removed.

The Ballard Alliance started an online fundraiser to help the businesses and employees displaced by the fire.

The group raised $85,000 and distributed about $47,000 directly to workers two weeks ago, according to Mike Stewart, executive director of the Ballard Alliance.

“It really helped them out through a tough time,” Stewart said.

The alliance is working with some of the businesses, trying to help them relocate elsewhere in Ballard, he said.

“Our hope and intent is that these employees can pick up where they left off,” Stewart said.

Also see | Restaurant destroyed by fire in Ballard helped Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

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