The Village of South Orange on Wednesday began demolishing the two downtown buildings that were destroyed by fire in March.
The buildings were deemed unsafe structures and had to come down for safety reasons, said Village Administrator Julie Doran.
The four-alarm fire, which took place on March 12 and deemed accidental, displaced upstairs residents and three businesses — Chris’s Family Diner, Ambiance Jewelers and Gladys Nail salon.
Ambiance Jewelers reopened in downtown and Gladys Nail salon moved its operations to its Cranford location. A gofundme that was set up for Chris’s Family Diner has raised $15,000 so far.
Village Council Member Hannah Zollman, the Village Council’s liaison to downtown businesses, said the fire not only destroyed the buildings and displaced businesses in them, it disrupted business for other storefronts downtown as well, and she encouraged residents to visit downtown businesses and shop locally.
Crews began on July 22 to demolish the two buildings destroyed by fire downtown in March. (Photos by Laura Griffin)
