Whitby building gutted by fire loses heritage designation
A section of downtown Whitby will remain closed indefinitely until the fate of one of the city's oldest buildings is determined after a devastating fire last week.
On Friday the centuries-old heritage building at 121 Brock St. was gutted in a massive blaze that took 30 firefighters 12 hours to extinguish.
Business owner Kery Large was supposed to open her bakery shop KakeKreations today. Instead, she's looking for a new location to set up shop.
It was a happy place on Thursday," she told CBC's Matt Llewellyn. "It's heart-breaking but like I keep saying, no one was hurt.
"It was my dream location. I've been a Whitby resident for 40 years and I've always wanted to have a location downtown.
Investigation fails to determine cause of fire
On Monday the fire marshal's office wrapped up its investigation and was not able to pinpoint what sparked the fire.
Also on Monday Whitby city council held an emergency meeting, voting to remove the building's heritage status and some of the red tape that goes with it.
"Now there's the ability to apply for a demolition permit for the property," said Coun. Elizabeth Roy. "The owner and insurance company will be able to move forward with that demolition."
Mayor Don Mitchell said the priority now is getting the downtown area back to normal.
"We've got to get the road open and we have to get the hydro on and get the businesses back going and take it a step at a time," he said.
City officials say the section of Brock Street south of the Four Corners will remain will remain closed off indefinitely.
They say the move is necessary because this building where the fire started is not structurally sound.
