Mayor Says Departmental Collaboration Key to Restore Businesses, Commercial Building

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Department of Neighborhood Development Director Evelyn Friedman, and Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services Director Jay Walsh today said City officials are working closely with seven Fenway neighborhood businesses ravaged by a four-alarm fire that began early Tuesday morning in an effort to reopen the businesses and restore as many jobs lost to the fire as possible.

"It is a terrible tragedy to lose these popular businesses in the Fenway – it's a huge loss for the community, and it means people are now out of their jobs," Mayor Menino said. "At the City level, we're working collaboratively to do everything we can for those involved. The most important thing we can do right now is to help these folks get back on their feet and reopen their businesses."

Officials from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services (MONS) and the Department of Neighborhood Development's (DND) Office of Business Development have been on the scene since the fire first started at approximately 2:00 A.M., Tuesday. The fire is estimated to have caused approximately $5 million in damages to the businesses, located side by side in a building at the intersection of Peterborough and Kilmarnock Streets. In addition, a nearby apartment building was evacuated for precautionary measures to the William McKinley Preparatory High School on Peterborough Street.

Officials said that the building's landlord was present and that engineers were already on site to assess the structural integrity of the building to determine whether it could be rebuilt or if it would need to come down. The Boston Fire Department has said they believe the fire started in Thornton's Fenway Grille, and quickly spread to the six neighboring businesses, including: Greek Isles Restaurant, Rod-Dee Thai Cuisine II Fenway, Umi Japanese Restaurant, Sorento's Italian Gourmet, and Bon Drycleaner.

A team of staff will work closely with the building's business owners in the coming days and weeks to offer guidance and assess the exact needs of each business in an effort to expedite the process of reopening. Mayor Menino said DND's Office of Business Development would provide financial, technical, and permitting assistance, and would work with the Office of Neighborhood Services to determine potential sites for relocation.

In addition to providing resources to the affected businesses, City officials are working with building's owner to help facilitate any necessary renovations or construction work needed to reopen the building in the future.

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