Fire destroys building, Blu 47 restaurant

Several Black-owned businesses found themselves homeless Thursday after an early morning fire destroyed the commercial building where they were headquartered.

Several Black-owned businesses found themselves homeless Thursday after an early morning fire destroyed the commercial building where they were headquartered. According to the Chicago Fire Department, the building was empty when the fire started around 2:50 a.m. and it does not appear foul play was involved. The CFD is still investigating to determine the exact cause of the fire. There were eight businesses located at 4655 S. King Drive, a 16,000-square-foot, two-story, brick building. They included The Spoken Word Cafe, Blu 47 and Uncle Joe’s jerk chicken restaurants. The building is also located across the street from the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Drive. Chicago-based East Lake Management & Development Corp., the Black-owned real estate company that owns several commercial buildings in Bronzeville, owns the building. Other Bronzeville buildings owned by East Lake include the historic Supreme Life Building, 3501 S. King Drive, and the Chicago Defender building, 4445 S. King Drive. Eileen Rhodes, vice president of development for East Lake, said the company plans to search for temporary space elsewhere within its portfolio for the affected businesses until the building is rebuilt. “We definitely plan to rebuild,” she told the Defender. “It appears that most of the damage was water and smoke damage so the entire building was not destroyed by fire, which makes rebuilding a littler easier.” Ald. Pat Dowell, whose 3rd Ward includes the building, said she was devastated Thursday as she watched the building burn. “As I stood there watching the firemen battle the blaze I was saddened because I know how much the building meant to the economic vitality of Bronzeville,” Dowell said. “I am glad that East Lake plans to rebuild and my office stands ready to assist them in any way we can.” Jimalita Tillman, executive director of Tobacco Road Inc., a non-profit organization, which manages the Harold Washington Cultural Center, said the fire not only displaced Black businesses but also its employees. “This building employed a lot of people and now they are all out of a job. This building was symbolic to the Bronzeville community because it signaled the rebirth of the community,” she told the Defender. “This is a very sad day for Brozeville because this was more than just another building but a symbol of Black pride.” Editor’s Note: Click on the Photo Gallery tab to see images of the burned out building Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender

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