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Apt. building gutted by fire ready to reopen
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Saturday, September 6, 2008 12:15 AM EDT
Argus-Press Photo by Anthony Cepak Hunter Bonney, 4, smiles as his mother Lisa Bonney of Bancroft takes turns pushing him and his twin sister Melissa on the swings Wednesday afternoon at McCurdy Park in Corunna. The twins have a couple of weeks before they start pre-kindergarten and they were “just out enjoying what is left of (their) summer,” Bonney said.
CORUNNA - About five months after a fire left approximately 30 people homeless, residents can begin moving back.
The reconstruction of a building at Meadowview Apartments, located on South Norton Street, is in its final stages. The actual structure has been completed, and all that is left to finish the carpeting and touch-up painting.
Beagle Construction of Saginaw handled the reconstruction - which began in mid-May.
“They're kicking butt on it,” said Tom Lister, who owns Meadowview Apartments with Chuck Weisenberger and Joe Newton. “It's pretty much ready. We will be having one person move in next weekend. We are going to slowly do it as we go.”
Building F caught fire at about 1:40 p.m. March 27. No one was injured, but two dogs and five cats were lost in the blaze.
“It was a pretty traumatic fire,” Lister said. “It's nice to see it back up again and we are ready to fill it.”
The complex was bought about two years ago by Lister, Weisenberger and Newton, and they have been working to update the nine apartment buildings.
Even though the building has retained its original look, it now has a sprinkler system and will be non-smoking. The building also will be equipped with a new touch-pad security system.
For the other eight apartment buildings in the complex, smoking is discouraged, but not prohibited.
“There are some little cosmetic changes. We put (cabinets) in the bathrooms and opened up the living room and the kitchens. But it's all brand new, that's the cool thing about it,” Lister said. “It's just really, really nice. Other than that it is pretty much identical.”
Tom Beagle, owner of Beagle Construction, said his firm has made additions to make the building more energy-efficient.
“We started right from the ground up,” Beagle said. “We put a better grade of insulation in the building and put more in the attic. We also insulated the interior walls better so it is more soundproof. We even have a better grade of furnace and lighting.”
The rebuilding cost about $750,000, according to Lister.
Lister also said there were additional problems because not all of the tenants had renter's insurance. He said he urges anyone renting an apartment to get insurance.
After the fire left the tenants displaced, Meadowview and the Red Cross found new homes for them.
“The Red Cross was awesome,” Lister said. “Also a lot of people from the community helped.”
Five of the 11 apartments have been filled and Meadowview is currently taking applications.
- Contact Michael Peterson at 725-5136 extension 223 or mpetersonarguspress@gmail.com.