The roof collapsed in a fire at a vacant home about 1:02 p.m. June 17 at 129 S. 16th.
Fire crews, who arrived within 2 minutes of the call, fought the heavy fire coming from the roof of the two-story wood-framed residential structure, a Fire Department spokesman said.
Crews were inside the building when it had to be evacuated because the roof was collapsing.
Strong wind gusts and downed power lines hampered the fire crews’ efforts, according to the spokesman.
Firefighters continued to fight the fire from the exterior, and brought the fire under control within 50 minutes. Crews remained on the scene hitting hot spots.
Three maintenance workers at the Legend Oak Apartment complex, 7640 Garfield Court, were injured when a chlorine pump exploded early today.
The three were trying to turn on the swimming pool chlorine pump, which was in a common storage area under the main office by the pool, according to a Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department spokesman.
The three workers were taken to a hospital for treatment and evaluation. One inhaled vapors from the chlorine; one had chlorine in his eyes; and the third was struck on the legs by shrapnel from the exploding pump.
Emergency workers from the Fire Department and HazMat personnel contacted the Unified Government Health and Environment Department, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, about the incident.
Fire crews arrived at the site about 1:31 a.m., about 3 minutes after the call. The estimated property loss was $5,000.
A new Price Chopper building on the east side of Wyandotte Plaza is almost complete. It will include a Starbucks coffee shop. (Staff photo) by Mary Rupert
Shoppers can expect some new businesses along with new and remodeled buildings for existing businesses when the 230,000-square-foot Wyandotte Plaza redevelopment is completed at 78th and State Avenue.
A new Price Chopper building on the east side of the shopping center is getting ready to open around July 16, and developers have now completed negotiations with some new tenants, said Dave Claflin, director of marketing for RED Legacy, which is handling the redevelopment project.
Claflin confirmed that PetSmart and Marshalls will open in the spring of 2015, on the shopping center’s west side, in the current Price Chopper grocery store building that will be remodeled.
The new 66,000-square-foot Price Chopper building on the east side is almost finished, and the middle section of the existing Wyandotte Plaza building is also almost completed, according to Claflin. Some businesses already have moved into new quarters in the middle section of the shopping center. Also, the new Advance Auto Parts building is completed.
Once the grocery store moves from the west side of the shopping center to the new building on the east side, the existing grocery store space can then be remodeled for Marshalls and PetSmart.
The new Price Chopper store’s sign now has gone up, noting a Starbucks coffee shop inside the store.
Another new tenant, Lufti’s Fried Fish, will open in August, Claflin said.
Some of the other stores and businesses at Wyandotte Plaza include Advance Auto Parts, MeMa’s Old-Fashioned Bakery, Simply Fashion, Sally Beauty Supply, Glam Tresses, City G.E.A.R., Radio Shack, Papa Murphy’s, Hans Jewelers, Dollar Tree, Sherwin Williams, H&R Block, Easy Home Living, and Advance America.
The Wyandotte Plaza shopping center complex also includes a Burger King restaurant and Payless ShoeSource store. The shopping center is more than 50 years old.
Claflin did not have total final cost figures yet for the redevelopment project. However, construction costs were estimated on Unified Government building permits, before construction started, at $4.89 million for the new Price Chopper building; $3 million for the Wyandotte Plaza renovations; and $767,125 for the new Advanced Auto building. Wyandotte Plaza is undergoing renovations, and some new tenants have already moved in. (Staff photo) Wyandotte Plaza at 78th and State is undergoing renovations, and some new tenants have already moved in. (Staff photo)
