VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — If you look between the mounds of rubble and steel beams along Atlantic Avenue and 27th Street at the Oceanfront, you will still see signs of a once-thriving business complex.
It's gated off now, but as I was walking past, a few items caught my eye.
I saw a charred menu, broken chairs, and an array of abandoned clothes; a sad reminder of what is left of the Maple Tree Pancake House, T-Shirt Factory, and King of the Sea Restaurant.
The three businesses, which were considered “staples” by many locals, caught fire on July 11, just after 5 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Braden Van Ravestein is the General Manager at Ocean 27 across the street and watched the situation unfold.
“It was a typical Oceanfront day [in the summer]," he said. "So, we were pretty packed – the place was full."
“Next thing I know, somebody said, ‘Hey, King of the Sea is on fire.’”
He pulled out his phone and started showing me the video he recorded that night after hearing a loud bang.
"[Firefighters were already on scene], but that's when the flames came out of the top of the building, probably shot up about 15 feet or so,” he said. "I would say it literally took it over, probably within 20 minutes."
It took over five hours and more than 75 firefighters to put the fire out.
Three months later, the pieces are still being picked up.
First demolish, then rebuild
Matthew Vakos is the man leading the rebuilding process.
His company owned the building and the property.
“What we've been dealing with is mainly the cleanup and trying to get some site plans, things like that through our civil engineer,” he said.
The company was issued a demolition permit by the city and, according to a representative for the City of Virginia Beach, the Planning Department issued that permit on Aug. 10.
The permit is valid for 180 days; however, an extension may be granted if the applicant requests additional time.
Vakos said while the process is not going as quickly as he hoped, it’s not as easy as just taking an excavator to what is left.
“One of the reasons it is taking us a little longer too is we're being conscious of the environmental impact," Vakos said. "A lot of these things [inside the rubble include] - a lot of metal and copper wiring."
"We are taking those items out of the building separating it and recycling as much as we can.”
Once they sort through the material, Vakos said, “we are going to be doing some testing for the footings and foundations to see if it is structurally sound to support a new building."
"It is basically going to be in the same footprint that this building is.”
I reached out to the Virginia Beach Fire Department to see if they had any updates even after the investigation had closed.
They said, 'No' and pointed to the final report, which stated the fire started in a void space just below the roof of the structure, and the direct cause of the incident is undetermined.
The department said the void space where the fire started ran the entire length of the structure. Therefore, investigators ruled out the possibility that the fire started at one of the three businesses, according to VBFD.
Vakos says the fire and insurance investigations have also factored into the delay.
“I wish it would've been cleaned up by now, but I really appreciate the fact that the owner is trying to reuse some of the steel and some of the products here and be very aware of what goes into the landfill,” Councilman Worth Remick of Virginia Beach said.
A future plan comes together
I met up with Remick along Atlantic Avenue and we looked at the lasting damage together.
He tells me they have been in talks with Vakos to keep the permit process moving and the project on track.
“I look forward to cutting the ribbon when it’s open,” he said. “It's always important to work with the business community to get through events and incidents like this to help streamline the process."
A process that those nearby, like Van Ravestein, are watching.
“It’s going to be different to just look over there, and then who knows what they put,” he says.
Vakos tells me there are already conversations happening behind the scenes.
"It's going to be retail stores as it was, but the new building is looking very nice and it's looking like something that the city and the community is going to be really happy with," Vakos said.
I also talked with two of the business owners.
Avinash Basnet, the owner of the T-Shirt Factory, told me over the phone that it has been a smooth summer. He said the employees who were working at the shop that burned down were given the opportunity to work at his three other locations.
He says they are in a standstill until a new building is constructed, but it is their intention to reopen the store.
I also contacted the family who owned the Maple Tree Pancake House. They did not share any information about their employees or future plans.
They said they still have a long road ahead and thanked the community for their support.
