11°c A few clouds
18°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Electrical failure lit Albert inferno
Owners vow to pick up and start anew
WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Liz Harte-Maxwell, co-owner of War on Music, is confident music fans believe in the store and will help it re-emerge.
Related Items
-
Articles
A large hole remains Friday where heritage buildings used to on Albert Street.
An accidental electrical failure started the fire that destroyed an Exchange District heritage building and closed two businesses this week, the Winnipeg Police Service said Friday.
The Albert Street Business Block, a heritage structure that contained three street-front retail units and the remnants of one of Winnipeg's oldest residential dwellings, was destroyed by a Thursday-morning fire and then demolished in the evening.
Investigators with the arson strike force and Office of the Fire Commissioner concluded the fire started at a power bar plugged into an electrical outlet inside retailer War on Music, police spokeswoman Const. Natalie Aitken said. The $630,000 blaze destroyed the music store, the neighbouring Ken Hong Restaurant, a vacant retail unit and an attached two-storey residential dwelling built in 1877.
The building's owner plans to redevelop the site, while one of his tenants vows to start anew.
Liz Harte-Maxwell, co-owner of War on Music, said her co-operative business isn't finished and she hopes to reopen with support from the store's punk- and metal-loving clientele.
"It's an opportunity to reconnect with our community and see what they want these days," said the 20-year-old, standing in a parking lot next to the space where War on Music stood, now an empty lot surrounded by metal gates.
"I just love this place... War On Music is definitely coming back. It's not over. We're going to do this better. We're going to take this opportunity to truly streamline what War on Music is these days."
The low-rise commercial building stood between the Royal Albert Arms and the St. Charles Hotel, a pair of vacant, 99-year-old heritage buildings.
Ken Zaifman, who owns both the St. Charles and the former business block, said he will proceed with his long-delayed plan to renovate his hotel.
"My preference would have been to do it in a more orderly way," Zaifman said Friday. "I'm very troubled by the fact the building was destroyed and two tenants had their businesses terminated."
Zaifman obtained permission from city council to demolish the Albert Street Business Block in 2008 once the hotel was renovated. Unless he approaches the city with a new development plan, he will still be required to renovate the St. Charles Hotel, city spokeswoman Michelle Bailey said.
Zaifman concurred. "The demolition of the business block doesn't change the redevelopment obligations of the St. Charles," he said, adding he does not want to create an open parking lot where the block once stood or create a curb cut into pedestrian-friendly Albert Street.
The main development obstacle facing the hotel remains the cost of heritage restoration and renovation, Zaifman said. Financing, however, should be no problem, he added.
On the other side of the former business block, the Royal Albert Arms sustained $30,000 in smoke damage. The heritage hotel has been closed since May 2011 due to a water-system failure but will "soon be open," owner Daren Jorgenson pledged via email.
Jorgenson said he will oppose any attempt to create a surface lot or a curb-cut entrance to a surface lot next door. Neither move is possible, according to the council decision governing the property.
Heritage Winnipeg executive director Cindy Tugwell said the loss of the Albert Street Business Block is "almost like a death in the family" and wants to see the entire stretch of Albert revitalized.
"The St. Charles Hotel is vacant, the Royal Albert is vacant and the adjacent Gregg building (next) to the Royal Albert is vacant," Tugwell said. "I think it's really critical now to get this redevelopment moving and we've been waiting patiently."
gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 24, 2012 A4
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 15 articles for today)
Two in custody after death on Pauingassi First Nation
9:58 AMRCMP are investigating the homicide of an unidentified man on Pauingassi First Nation.
Two young people have been arrested but not ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- A new mom's booze-fuelled hell
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Couple faces new charges of sexual assault
- The end of the credit card?
- Core grocer a challenge: expert
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- New main event confirmed at Winnipeg’s UFC 161 due to Barao injury
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Police identify slaying victims
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- U of M to chop $5M out of $642-M budget
- U of M researchers awarded $9.5M in grants, U of W $2.2M
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Manitoba appointees violate feds' rules
- Core grocer a challenge: expert
- New main event confirmed at Winnipeg’s UFC 161 due to Barao injury
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Fishing for fashion
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- North End proud
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
- Ochre Beach residents are 'thankful everybody got out'
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.