Suit against former Joel tenant dropped
Dorian photography studio relocated after 2008 fire destroyed the business
The developer of a downtown loft project who filed suit in October for damages related to the devastating Joel Building fire has withdrawn the lawsuit.
The Lofts at Joel LLC, co-owned by developer and architect Ron Wells, of Wells & Co., filed an order Jan. 8 for a dismissal of the case against Dorian Studios, the photography business that operated at the site of the fire. The suit, which sought “economic losses” to be determined at trial, alleged that Dorian employees engaged in activities that caused the July 24, 2008, fire at 165 S. Post St., although court documents did not specify those activities.
The official cause of the fire is undetermined.
“We’ve been investigated and there was nothing that came out at all,” said Yvonne Mark, who owns the photography studio with her husband, Joe Mark.
“I think the hardest part was really the accusations that our employees had done something wrong,” Yvonne Mark said Wednesday. “We have wonderful people that just worked like crazy to get us back up and running.”
Dorian had operated in the three-story brick building for at least 35 years before the fire destroyed that portion of the building. The studio has since relocated to a 15,000-square-foot building at 4212 W. Sunset Blvd.
Initial reports show the fire erupted in or near the basement of the building, burning through three floors. A restaurant on the first floor, Churchill’s Steakhouse, and the lofts – a 16-unit condo project on the second and third floors – suffered smoke and water damage. The restaurant and condo areas of the building were declared structurally sound and are being renovated.