Residents on day 3 in emergency shelter, most businesses reopen following downtown apartment fire

Both downtown Spokane stores damaged by flooding resulting from an apartment fire in the Coeur d’Alene Plaza building Wednesday evening had reopened as of mid-day Friday.

Some progress has been made in the recovery from a 6th floor apartment fire that broke out Wednesday and the extensive water damage throughout the building that resulted from the response from Spokane Fire and the building’s sprinkler system, as well as a burst water main. Spokane Fire had not responded to inquiries regarding the cause of the fire as of Friday evening.

Built in 1890, the historic brick building’s damage displaced more than 60 residents and shuttered the restaurant and storefront on the first floor.

Boo Radley’s toy shop and its neighbor Petunia & Loomis, a macabre oddities store, were able to open their doors to customers Friday after spending much of Thursday evaluating damages and cleaning the aftermath of the water damage.

O’Doherty’s Irish Grille, which also suffered water damage, remained closed Friday as the water to the building had yet to be turned on as of mid-day.

Aside from a lingering musty smell, it was business as usual at Boo Radley’s on Friday as community members crammed into the freshly restocked aisles. Jen Merzen, the toy shop’s owner, said she was grateful to see the support.

“I am feeling great,” Merzen said. “Sad that O’Doherty’s is still without water, but hopefully they’re getting it resolved today.”

Spokane resident Adam Finkbeiner was one of several supporting both shops with his business Friday. As he strolled the aisles of Boo Radley’s, he recalled visiting just hours before Wednesday’s ordeal. He said he knew he needed to return as soon as he heard of the reopening.

“I wanted to come back and do what I can,” Finkbeiner said. “Just see if I can find anything that jumps out on me, you know, Christmas gifts.”

Petunia & Loomis co-owner Sam McCauley said her business was still without heating as a result of the flooding. Both of the pilot lights for their gas-powered system were out Friday, and without water, Atticus Coffee graciously acted as the working restroom for the boutique and Boo Radley’s.

“We’ve had a lot of really great community outpouring, and we’re really appreciative of everybody around us,” McCauley said.

McCauley said she was grateful for the assistance from her fellow business owners, and recommended customers wanting to pop in and show their support bring a jacket with them. Their holiday photo shoots with Krampus, a half-goat character who punishes naughty children at Christmas, are back on for Saturday, she confirmed.

“There’s still little hiccups, obviously, and it’s gonna take a while,” McCauley said. “We want people to come visit all of us; we just would ask them to be patient and bear with us.”

While she’s grateful for the support and happy to see the doors to her shop open again, Menzer said she’s worried about the residents of the low-income apartments that fill the floors above the shops. More than 60 tenants, many who are senior citizens, were displaced in the fire and resulting water damage.

The American Red Cross established an emergency shelter in a local church for those displaced that was expected to close Friday at 5 p.m. The residents are being provided hotel rooms instead, said Lacie Clark, director of the American Red Cross Northwest Region Greater Inland Northwest chapter.

Clark said lines of communication between the property managers and the tenants are now open, after several residents lamented the lack of information they received Wednesday night and much of Thursday.

The Spokesman-Review reached out to Redwood Communities, the property management company, for comment several times over the course of Thursday and Friday. As of publication time Friday evening, not one of those requests for comments had been returned.