INNISFIL — A Cookstown strip plaza heavily damaged by fire in July is slowly reopening, one store at a time.
Anthony Martino, a landlord for the six-unit site, says the LCBO retailer and Cookstown Pub and Subway restaurants have opened their doors again.
Pizza Hut will reopen “shortly,” while Pharmasave should be back in business in January. Cookstown Foodland remains closed “for the time being” and while there’s no definitive timeline, it could open once more in the spring.
“It’s a pretty strong community,” he said. “We’re happy things are progressing. We hoped it would be sooner. We want to get everything up and running as soon as possible. The tenants aren’t going anywhere — they’ll all be open for business soon. The individuals who live in Cookstown are happy to go back to a local store. It’s a testament to the community and the support they provide these businesses.”
Martino says his family manages other strip plazas, but this is the first time in more than two decades they’ve experienced an incident of this magnitude.
“The insurance company has been great with helping us out; there’s a whole team in place,” he said. “We’ve done our best to keep on top of any work that needs to be done — any contractors they’re working with, and coordinating inspections with the Town (of Innisfil).”
Innisfil Fire and Rescue Services personnel, South Simcoe police and County of Simcoe paramedics were called to a blaze at the Foodland, located within the Queen Street mall, shortly before 6 a.m. on July 5.
Fire Chief Brent Thomas told Village Media at the time there was “smoke mitigation” in all units within the plaza. As a result, the entire plaza was closed until a structural engineer, employment standards personnel, InnPower and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit gave permission for occupancy.
“Structural damage to the roof,” he said in an email.
No one was inside the grocery store at the time of the incident.
South Simcoe police spokesperson Isabella Soligo said in July that when officers arrived the fire seemed to be minor and under control.
“Innisfil Fire advised police there appeared to be a ‘hot spot’ on an electrical panel area of Foodland,” she said. “While firefighters were extinguishing the fire, the store filled with smoke.”
Martino said the long closures were due mostly to extensive smoke damage.
“The problem is, you never know the full extent,” he said, noting a steel beam inside Foodland was also compromised. “They had to do smoke mapping, air-quality tests, to determine the full extent. That took some time. With Foodland, there was some structural damage, but that’s been addressed. We do have a solution for that. Everything inside that unit is being redone.”
