CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said Monday the victims in the Regal Apartments building fire should have new housing by the middle of the month.
Goodwin
“A lot of the folks who were in that apartment complex have found housing, been placed into housing, with a commitment from the company that everyone will have a soft place to land by the 15th,” Goodwin said during a Monday morning appearance on 580 Live on 580 WCHS.
A Jan. 25 fire destroyed they four-story building on Kanawha Boulevard displacing approximately 80 residents. Investigators were unable to determine a cause of the fire due to the extent of damage.
The city ordered the building demolished the evening of the fire because of structural concerns.
The property is owned by Patriot Services Group.
Goodwin said another top priority is getting the site cleaned up.
“This is a private company and they own the property but it is a big piece of Charleston’s waterfront, so obviously we are interested in what they are going to do with it,” Goodwin said.
There are currently no discussions between the city and Patriot Services on the future use of the property, Goodwin said.
“None right now. There are folks who are talking about, ‘How much did it cost to tear down?’ We certainly want to make sure that everybody is paying for what they need to pay for and that it is cleaned up in an efficient and effective manner. The things that we have control over are the things that we’re going to have a heavy hand in,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said the Red Cross, United Way, Mountain Mission and other groups continue to provide assistance to the fire victims.
There were no injuries in the blaze.