t's been more than five months since the Northside Grocery caught fire and City of Russellville officials are growing impatient with the delay in the building being repaired or demolished.
Russellville Fire Marshal Justin Green said he spoke with Bhupinder Cheema, the contact person on file for the property, about necessary repairs or safeguards to secure the property more than three weeks ago. Northside Grocery is located at 1328 Waterloo Road.
There were pieces of plywood placed over the exterior doors, but some of those were blown off during the March 3, 2023, storm. The front door of Northside Grocery remained unsecured as of March 27th.
The property owner has not yet decided whether to sell, repair or have the building razed, city officials said.
The fire, which began around 8 p.m., caused extensive damage to the building's interior. Preliminary investigation by local fire department officials indicated the origin of the fire appeared to be an electrical accident, possibly in the break room/bathroom.
According to a source familiar with the situation, an independent investigation as to the cause of the fire led to a finding inconsistent with an electrical accident. That investigation remains ongoing.
Meanwhile, the property has a border of yellow police tape around it, but remains open and accessible, creating a risk of danger to those who may enter.
If the building is not soon secured, repaired or razed, the City of Russellville could file an nuisance abatement and seek authority to take whatever steps are required to safeguard the property. That process would include filing a request for abatement which would be presented to the Russellville City Council for consideration.
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