SPRINGFIELD – A third fire in one of the Maple Street row houses will not stop the city from trying to find a developer to restore the historic building.
A fire broke out in the second floor stairwell of the house at about 2:20 p.m. July 29, leaving the future in question for 174 Maple St. building, the first in a line of six historic but neglected row houses.
When the fire hit, the city was preparing to request proposals from developers interested in renovating and reusing that building and the adjacent house at 176 Maple St. Both were taken by the city in tax title foreclosure a decade ago.
“The fire was fairly minor and the building is being re-secured,” said Timothy Sheehan, director of planning and economic development.
Building Inspector Steve Desilets examined the house after the fire and determined it did not cause further structural problems. A fire Jan. 28, however, burned through the roof and destabilized beams holding up the third floor.
Staff is now finishing the paperwork to seek a new developer. It should go out within the next two weeks, Sheehan said.
The Community Preservation Committee will offer $3000,000 for exterior improvements to a developer who has an acceptable plan to rehab the properties.
Firefighters mostly fought the most recent blaze from the outside, since it is deemed too dangerous to enter the building during a fire. They did access the inside through a second-floor window and cautiously entered it later to ensure the fire was extinguished, Fire Capt. Drew Piemonte said.
Fire inspectors could only do a cursory examination of the scene because of the condition of the building. The cause of the fire is undetermined. Piemonte said there were no utilities on to spark the fire and people have been seen breaking into the building, even though it was boarded up.
The cause of the January fire was also not discovered.
The two row houses will be sold as a pair. Officials are concerned the adjacent house at 176 Maple St. could be destabilized if the neighboring one is torn down because all six share connecting walls.
Just days before the January fire, developer Paul J. Bongiorni and his business partner, Nick Turnberg, purchased the remaining buildings, numbered 178, 180, 182 and 184, from real estate investor Roger Roberge.
The Community Preservation Committee awarded the developers, who are operating under the name Maple Street LLC, a $300,000 grant in June to help with exterior renovations of the buildings.
The entire project is expected to cost more than $5 million and will create a dozen market-rate apartments. Each building is four floors and measures about 1,000 square feet.
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