UPDATE (Dec. 30): The Wine and Spirits store on the 4900 block of Baltimore Avenue has reopened.
Crews have demolished the building that housed the popular bar and restaurant Elena’s Soul, which was destroyed by fire Monday. The demolition caused severe damage to adjacent buildings, prompting the city to order that those buildings either be repaired or demolished themselves.
The City placed an “imminently dangerous” notice on Gary’s Nails today after the walls of the three-story building that housed Elena’s collapsed through the nail salon’s roof. A wall in Gary’s was also severely damaged during the demolition. The notice requires the building’s owner to repair or demolish the building in a timely manner.
A wall from the Elena’s building also crashed through the roof of the adjacent Cedar Park Cafe, prompting the City to also serve notice to the building’s owner that it needs to be repaired or demolished.
The fire and demolition has also impacted the Wine and Spirit Store next door to Gary’s. The store has been closed since demolition began and a sign posted in the window says that it will be “closed until further notice.” It remained closed Friday afternoon.
So far there has been no indication of where or whether Elena’s will rebuild. Elena’s Soul carried on a long tradition of bars in the building, which was reportedly built in 1908. Before Elena’s, the building was the home of Leroy’s Showcase Lounge. Elena’s catered to a relatively young, multiracial crowd.
“That place brought a lot of different kinds of people together,” said one man as he watched the demolition today. “Gonna be tough to replace that.”
A cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The liquor store adjacent to Gary’s Nails will be closed until further notice.
December 28th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Cedar Park! I need you in my life! Who wants to set up a charity to get that place back on it’s feet. I’m so serious. Email me.
December 28th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
I believe they already have one
December 28th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
https://www.westphillylocal.com/2012/12/26/fundraiser-for-elenas-soul-this-friday/
December 28th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
This thing is like an infection that just keeps expanding. Maybe they can get together and rebuild beyond our wildest imagination.
December 28th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
I’m not worried about Elena’s, I’m talking about Cedar Park Cafe.
December 28th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
I feel so bad for everyone this has affected. Please rebuild! West Philly has such a supportive community…that’s why I love it. Hopefully all funds raised would be able to apply to all of these businesses.
December 28th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
what fools did they get to do the demo? to damage not one, but both adjacent buildings? someone needs a new job & ceder park cafe better sue the fools behind this
December 28th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Just brilliant.
December 28th, 2012 at 7:09 pm
+1 on Fred W.’s comment.
Demolitioning a row house/buidling is done on a regular basis-what happened?
The demolition firm should be sued for damaging the adjacent buildings, IF the damaged occurred during the demolition process.
I’d attend a fundraiser for legal fees to file a lawsuit!!
December 28th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Both adjacent buildings were damaged in the fire. Is it possible that the fire damage compromised their stability?
December 28th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
I’m saddened even more by this news! And I’m shocked that the demolition crew didn’t adequately protect the adjacent properties – seems like a rush job to me. Even if the adjacent buildings suffered some damage from the fire, a 2-story wall (or any portion thereof) collapsing on even a pristine roof would do some serious damage. I’m sad for these losses in our community, and for the business owners who have been immediately affected by these devastating events. But I’m hopeful that something even better will rise from these ashes.
December 29th, 2012 at 12:24 am
thanks stewie, i would help in any benefit for a lawsuit…ruin my favorite breakfast place…well you knocked the wrong wall in..
December 29th, 2012 at 7:10 am
As for the damage, large chunks of wall were allowed to fall through the roofs of both business. This from eyewitnesses. I was caused by the demolition.
December 29th, 2012 at 10:21 am
At this rate, maybe they will end up demolishing the entire block.
These “mistakes” must be very good for business.
December 29th, 2012 at 10:55 am
how can you hold the city responsible for this? L&I cant just give the demo job to the lowest bidder and have them DESTROY 2 business to the point where they also need demolished. I’m sure cedar park will have a lawyer involved but not so sure about garys. garys was a much smaller business. This is ridiculous! Hold the city responsible! hold the demo team responsble! we need to put pressure on them. to hold them accountable!
December 29th, 2012 at 11:45 am
I am generally in favor of unions, but after reading about the tactics Philadelphia’s building unions have employed at non-union sites this week (Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House) and this year (Goldtex), I can’t help but wonder if the demolition crew was unionized (one can only assume) and hence another huge ugly blemish on the reputation of our city’s building unions.
December 29th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
so sorry to hear about these losses to our community! 🙁
December 29th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
DONT assume this was a union job. i would assume this was not a union job. unions typically have high standards
December 29th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
So all you armchair quarterbacks are fire demo experts now? you don’t know what was damaged in the adjacent properties already, you don’t know how hazardous or precarious it is to even demo a fire ravaged building to even claim negligence. You don’t know who did the demo. Go spend your rightous energy helping your neighbors. geez.
December 29th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Really? Armchair? We all read the same article, most of us know damage was already done from the fire, however brick walls falling a story down onto a roof, regardless of structural integrity, will destroy the roof. There are systems and methods in place to avoid these kind of incidents. You are a negative troll who clearly has no love for your community, keep your comments to yourself. This demo job, whether it was rushed or performed by highly trained professionals, was botched. They need to be held accountable. That’s why there is such a thing as insurance. Let’s make sure that all three businesses impacted by this misfortune have the help and support of all concerned neighbors. All others will not be missed.
December 29th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Hey, aren’t buildings required to hav insurance? I could’t buy my home without having insurance. I always wondered about that. Everytime something happens to a bussiness, everyone is up in arms (rightfully so) but shouldn’t insurance take care of most, if not all of this?
December 29th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Insurance never covers everything. There are some things money can never replace. And for whatever payout the insurance company agrees to, there will be deductibles and plenty of devalued property, and “current market value” for things that were well used but had lots of life left in them.
December 29th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
From reading the article, it seemed to me that the demolition company really did a hackjob of it. The liquor store didn’t close until the demolition started it reads. I wonder if that’s true of the other two businesses. Regardless, I don’t know how a falling piece slab of bricks can be attributed to anything else but the demolition. And to say the owners are responsible for fixing this or having their businesses demolished is absurd. If indeed the demolition company is at fault, they will hopefully sue.
December 29th, 2012 at 4:53 pm
It would be nice to have a fundraising event to help all 3 businesses affected. I love the diner and I don’t want them to lose their place.
December 29th, 2012 at 11:56 pm
I am so bummed to lose Elena’s – I hope it’s temporary and they return soon! It’s a big loss for the fabric of the block, the business community and the social network and my heart goes out to them – very glad that noone was hurt.
January 2nd, 2013 at 11:36 am
Please keep us posted if there are any fundraisers for Cedar Park Cafe!
January 2nd, 2013 at 2:59 pm
I’m bummed about the entire thing but am really going to miss Cedar Park Cafe if they are unable to reopen.
January 6th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
I know the owner of Elena’s has said he doesn’t want to be the “object of charity,” but are there any efforts underway to raise money or do something for Gary’s and/or Cedar Park Cafe? Anyone interested in putting something together?
As far as the responsibility of the demolition crew–it seems like there ought to be some kind of inquiry into how the damage to the neighboring businesses took place. If it was the responsibility of the city, seems like the city should be involved in compensating the businesses, no?
January 6th, 2013 at 7:35 pm
I am a little confused here. Isn’t true that L&I arranged for the demo, i.e., hired the contractor and that this entity negligently caused serious structural damage to the adjacent buildings whose owners were entirely without fault. Yet L&I is now threatening these innocent property owners with demo unless they are able to repair their properties within 30 days. Does this make sense to anyone? If so, please explain to me how this can be the case.
L&I needs to be held accountable and these innocent owners right’s protected. These adjacent structures should not be demoed, nor should the owners be required to pay for the necessary repairs. A couple of posts mentioned a possible lawsuit. Does anyone know if this is in the works? Our community must stand by and support these folks against a corrupt and unaccountable city government.If not us then who will and whos rights will trampled next?
January 7th, 2013 at 4:34 am
Mike, L&I only makes a determination about the buildings based on their safety. It doesn’t make sense that, as far as we know, no solution is being given to the property owners for repairing their buildings, but L&I only cares about the safety of the buildings.
The problem, I’m guessing, is that while all the properties and businesses involved (including the demo company) likely have insurance, the insurance companies are going to debate in court who has to pay what. Who knows how long that will take to get resolved.
January 7th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
In these time there are more precise and safer ways to demolish row buildings to lessen trauma to the foundations attached. I’ve witnessed this several times in my neighborhood. Cranes should be used at a minimum. I was told by a retired law enforcement officer that the fire could have been an inside job of arson on the part of the building owners. And that Elena’s Soul rented the property for their business enterprise-so this in no is directed at them. For Mr. Allen owner of Elena’s is a fine citizen -astute businessman and supporter of culture in our community. So I am truly concerned about what I was told. Also with the reckless demolition and careless attitude toward the other business owners-it has to make one ponder. It’s sad because the building was over a hundred years old. I am also very sorry for the loss of the other businesses.
January 7th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
The owner of Elena’s did not hire the contractor, L&I did. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/How_Philly_LI_cut_home_demolition_costs_in_half.html And why the rush to demo it or the adjacent structures. Elena’s could have been sealed and cordoned off until a competent contractor was able to do the job in a safe manner. One should always be suspicious of city agencies in Philly that seem to be highly efficient (think the Parking Authority). This usually indicates some sort of nefarious economic motive.
January 7th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Elena’s-of coure-is not responsible for hiring contractors-owner of the building is. This says to me that it may be a city owned property-since L&I is handling business like they are. I think there are future physical changes are in the works for that part of the block.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:56 pm
I recall a situation on the 5000 block of Beaumont where 3 row homes were demoed in late December, just before the end of the year. The homes in question were slated to be rehabbed by a local Mennonite group and sold at subsidized prices to low income buyers. Two of the properties in question were in pretty bad shape but one was structurally sound. The Mennonites were not notified of the impending demo and because the job was rushed, an adjacent property may have been left in a structurally compromised state(sound familiar). The rumor was that L&I had funds set aside for demolition that had to be spent before the end of the year. Coincidentally, the Elena’s demo job was also completed just before the New Year. How’s that for efficiency.
January 8th, 2013 at 12:34 am
Mike very interesting and sound point. It suprised me how demo was expedited. And then to somewhat bullyride the adjacent business owners-whom also have suffered a great loss to fix up or get out. Yeah it’s a bit shaky-oh well.
June 5th, 2013 at 10:59 pm
Which company did the demolition here? This is the company that did the demolition that just killed 5 people at 22nd and Market: “Griffin Campbell Construction”
June 6th, 2013 at 11:24 am
I was wondering the same thing.
June 6th, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Anyone know how to look this up on the Philly L&I website or elsewhere? I’m also wondering whether it’s the same crew.
June 6th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/nakedcity/City-cites-two-West-Philly-businesses-destroyed-by-city-contracted-demolition-crew.html
Our neighborhood demo job was done by some collaboration between JPC Group, Inc. and Gama Wrecking