Palo Alto's building inspectors have determined that three of the four businesses that were damaged in a blaze on Middlefield Road last week are no longer safe to enter or occupy, a ruling that means the buildings face an extensive remodel or reconstruction.
The fire, which began late at night on Feb. 1 and spilled into the early hours of Feb. 2, caused extensive damage to a shopping plaza in the 3100 block of Middlefield Road, near Loma Verde Avenue. The fire is believed to have originated at AJ's Quick Clean Center, which is in the middle of the property, and spread to Bill's Café, which is adjacent to the laundromat. Both businesses have been tagged with a red placard, indicating they are not safe to occupy. Philz Coffee, which is on the other side of the laundromat, sustained less damage from the fire but was also red-tagged, according to the city.
The fourth business on the site, Palo Alto Fine Wine & Spirits, was tagged with a yellow placard, which allows entry to secure products and prevent further damage, the city's Chief Communications Officer Meghan Horrigan-Taylor said in an email. The fire investigation, she noted, is still ongoing and building inspection reports are still being developed.
"Since the walls are intact, and a portion of the roof also, it is possible the building can undergo an extensive remodel," Horrigan-Taylor said. "Building Officials are not in a position to direct complete demolition at this time. They will periodically review the site for safety and encourage a site cleanup, possible engineering evaluation, and a path forward to restoring the site, in accordance with the Palo Alto Municipal Code."
She also noted that the city's economic development staff are in contact with the businesses to assist them.
While Philz Coffee did not experience the type of extensive fire damage that befell Bill's and AJ's Quick Clean Center, the businesses share an attic and a roof. Firefighters said the fire was spreading through the attic before they were able to knock it down in the early hours of Feb. 2. While the two businesses in the center of the plaza were clearly destroyed by the blaze, it was not clear immediately after the fire whether Philz could be salvaged.
The city's determination to red-tag Philz ensures that the popular coffee shop will not be reopening its doors any time soon.
Council member Ed Lauing said Monday that he had visited the site to express his condolences to the business owners. He said the owners of Philz and Bill's were "trying to make the best of it."
"There's going to have to find new spaces," Lauing said at the City Council meeting. "And if they do, obviously it will be grandfathered in for construction and so forth, but hopefully we'll help them in any way possible to get back in business as soon as possible."
Comments
Registered user
Midtown
on Feb 9, 2023 at 1:06 pm
Registered user
on Feb 9, 2023 at 1:06 pm
Will there be any follow up on potential delays to the scene given there are currently no firetrucks at the Mitchell Park station? What’s the daytime response time for south Palo Alto and Palo Verde calls?
As a resident in an Eichler neighborhood, this concerns me greatly. How quickly will the response be when there’s a fire that is not in the middle of the night?
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2023 at 5:46 pm
Registered user
on Feb 9, 2023 at 5:46 pm
Good question, Parent of 2.
This fire has left a big gap in the south Palo Alto community. All 4 businesses were well used in the community, it was often difficult to park in both lots. Since 2 Starbucks have closed there is only Peets and Palo Alto cafe as far as I know. Mikes is serving brunch at weekends. There are several dry cleaners but no laundromat as far as I know.
So where will the customers go as replacements? I can feel it is a safe bet that now they will all have to get in their cars and drive to get what was once an easy walk.
Registered user
another community
on Feb 9, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Registered user
on Feb 9, 2023 at 6:11 pm
One idea you could implement if you have time, Bystander, is a battery operated rolling coffee cart. Kind of like the hot dog carts in NYC, but I'm sure it would take an act of god and a stack of benjamins to get a permit here for something like that. Hot coffee in the winter, ice coffee in summer. Reminiscent of the ice cream trucks but please NO "turkey in the straw" recorded banjo clanging incessantly.
Registered user
Midtown
on Feb 9, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Registered user
on Feb 9, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Very sad. Perhaps the outdoor seating area and trees could be retained, since they are unconnected to the buildings and are a gathering spot?
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 10, 2023 at 11:02 am
Registered user
on Feb 10, 2023 at 11:02 am
I like the idea of a little coffee/cafe kiosk there. They could allow temporary use of the parking lot during the construction period for tables and chairs in the lot. It could be a bike/walk destination, so no need for auto parking. It is so centrally located-- less than a 10- or 15-minute bike ride from almost anywhere else in town.
Registered user
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 10, 2023 at 6:34 pm
Registered user
on Feb 10, 2023 at 6:34 pm
I hate to say it, but the business owners are probably better off to find new locations if they are available. I would be looking right now.
No telling how long it will be before reconstruction is done. The city will be of no real help, and the property owners may have their own ideas about how to remodel. Often, in this kind of case, the current owner sells the property to a specialized redeveloper.
Nice people in those businesses.
Registered user
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 10, 2023 at 6:44 pm
Registered user
on Feb 10, 2023 at 6:44 pm
There is the old Rojoz place in Charleston beside Peets. It probably isn't big enough for Bills but it would be nice to have it back as a lunchtime option, but with Peets beside it Philz wouldn't fit. There is the empty dry cleaners in Midtown and that would probably be too small for Bills and Philz would probably cause lots of parking problems as well as being too close to PA Cafe.
Loma Verde/Middlefield as a location serves a residential community as well as being nearby for the office workers on Bayshore. Fabian/JCC has very little in the way of retail space for coffee/lunch.
In fact Midtown and Charleston are probably doing more business as a result of the fire, but as for local residents and workers, it is probably not as easy.
Registered user
Charleston Gardens
on Feb 11, 2023 at 9:31 am
Registered user
on Feb 11, 2023 at 9:31 am
Just so people are aware, Ada's Cafe, which is right beside the Mitchell Park Library, serves excellent coffee drinks, pastries, and lunches Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Registered user
Midtown
on Feb 11, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Registered user
on Feb 11, 2023 at 1:58 pm
On one hand I feel badly for the business owners and their employees, the landlord, and the customers who patronize these businesses. My mother had a house fire (old electrical wiring) and it was devastating for her as I'm sure it is for all the folks affected by this situation. On the other hand I won't miss the excess traffic these businesses bring to Loma Verde Ave, particularly Philz which is very high volume. The tiny parking lot is a zoo at peak times. Drivers ignore the one way signs for entering and exiting the Philz parking lot, park illegally in the bike lane across the street, leave their Philz trash on our lawns, put full cups of Philz coffee in my clean recycling container on recycling day so I have to clean it out, etc. Drivers do sudden and often unsafe U-turns in our driveway, and one driver exiting the Philz parking lot hit and injured my neighbor's son who was riding his bike. Last time I looked at Philz Middlefield on Yelp the commenters were from all over the Bay Area and consider this tiny place in a residential neighborhood a "destination". Bystander has it correct when referring to "parking problems".