Walk for Our Neighbors, 3145 Residents

Nearly one year to the day of a tragic fire on Mt Pleasant Street NW-- our Main Street-- there are few answers, hidden, or in plain view. The 3145 Mt P Street building sits as empty of a shell as it was a day after the fire. A single security guard is the only inhabitant night after night. The jersey barriers out front seem almost normal at this point. I hardly notice the mini crater and vast low lying pile of bricks just beyond the facade of the burned-out building. It could almost pass an occupied structure at first glance.

Well, tonight, there is a small event commemorating the passing of one year since this terrible tragedy. The announcement from Hear Mount Pleasant:

We all remember the horrible events of last March when a fire raged through 3145 Mt. Pleasant St, displacing more than 200 residents from one of Mt. Pleasant's oldest buildings. Hear Mount Pleasant along with many other neighborhood groups and individuals worked hard to offer support and resources to the displaced tenants after the fire. We would now like to invite you to join us in gathering to support the tenants of 3145 Mt. Pleasant St once again, this time to mark the anniversary of the fire.

Please join the Tenants of 3145 Mt. Pleasant Street for a Community Mass and Walk to 3145 Mt. Pleasant Street to pay homage to their still empty home.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12th, 2009 Schedule of Events:

6:30pm Community Mass at Sacred Heart Church
(16th St NW and Sacred Heart Way NW)

7:30pm Commemorative Candlelight Walk to 3145 Mt. Pleasant Street

8:00pm Ceremony of Thanks
(At intersection of Kenyon St and Mt. Pleasant St)

Help our community come together to welcome back these displaced neighbors! (All events organized by the 3145 Mt. Pleasant Street Tenant Association)

Support, Answers Still Needed After Fire

Two weeks after a fire destroyed one Mount Pleasant apartment building and nearly destroyed an adjacent church, the fallout is still very much evident on the ground. Mount Pleasant Street has been closed north of Irving since the fire. The businesses on the main street seem to be doing ok, but getting into, out of and through the neighborhood has been a challenge.

You wouldn't know from the WMATA website, but there is clearly a detour for the 42 bus route regarding Mount Pleasant Street. Northbound buses end their routes at Irving Street. Southbound buses begin their routes at either Irving (turning right onto Irving, then right on 16th) or at Argonne Place next to Rat Park. Here's where it gets tricky. Most buses leaving from Irving won't circle around Rat Park; you'll have to cross the street from the Rat Park bus shelter to get onto the bus, which will pick up on southbound 16th Street. Afterwards it makes a right onto Columbia Road and continues the normal route. Some buses will (correctly) start at Argonne Place, make a right onto Harvard, and then a right again, stopping directly in front of the Rat Park bus shelter. Either way, your best bet to catch the southbound 42 is to wait at the shelter in Rat Park. Buses seem to run in bunches in this configuration, so you'll see 3 or 4 starting/ending their route at once.

Donations are still needed and accepted. Neighbors Consejo, the Mount Pleasant non profit, has collected all the clothes it can at this point. Monetary donations are best, because it can be used for a variety of resident needs. Donate online easily at the organization's website. Or in person; 3118 16th Street NW.

The local press has covered various aspects of the story since the fire. Here are a few recent articles:

• Red Cross to Pay Apartment Fire Victims First Month Rents
• Victims of Fire Pick up the Pieces of Their Lives
• Damage to Apartments, Church Put at $20 Million

Authorities know more about where the fire started in the 3145 Mt Pleasant St building, but have yet to settle on a firm cause. They have not completely ruled out arson, but appear to have ruled it out as the most likely reason. There are still questions about the effects of the physical conditions and general upkeep of the building and what role, if any, they played in the fire. Officials have not said if the fire was just an accident, circumstantial or intentional. Hopefully the picture will become clearer soon and with a new season, the residents of 3145 and parishioners of Meridian Hill Baptist can move towards some form of regularity. My best to them all.

Our Friends and Neighbors; the 3145 and Meridian Hill Church Fires

Right now our neighbors from 3145 Mt Pleasant Street and the Meridian Hill Baptist Church are trying to begin the process of putting their lives back together after the fires of Thursday morning. According to NBC 4, small fires were still smoldering in some parts of the gutted building at 11:30 last night, nearly 24 hours after initial 911 calls. Investigators may not get access to all reaches of the building for at least a week. We can all be thankful that not one person was killed or seriously injured in the 3145 building (the Winston) or the at Meridian Hill Church. Those who were using the shelter housed in the basement of Meridian Hill now have a temporary home at Sacred Heart Catholic Church across 16th Street. The shelter was and is run by Catholic Charities. They accept donations online.

The 42 and this blogger are thinking good thoughts on behalf of all Mount Pleasant and wishes a speedy return of everyone involved to their homes in 3145. Thankfully, there are several ways to help out if you are so inclined. Thanks to Hear Mount Pleasant, Neighbors Consejo, Pfeiffer's Hardware, La Casa and other local groups and individuals.

• Cash Donations are probably the most helpful right now; possibly more than clothes and toiletries. Make a cash donation to be used for emergency shelter, medications, etc. For now, Pfeiffer's Hardware (3219 Mt P Street) is accepting cash donations on behalf of Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative.
• Volunteer you time or offer up a place to stay for residents of 3145, again through CHSFSC.
• Donate food, clothing or both at Neighbor's Consejo. Its at 3118 16th St, only a few doors down from Meridian Hill Church, but you can donate NOW online.
• Eat and drink; Don Jaime's (3209 Mt P Street) is donating 20% of this weekend's breakfast sales and a March 18 wine tasting at Marx Cafe (3203 Mt P Street), sponsored by Mount Pleasant Main Street; a portion of the $15 entrance will be donated to victim support.

Major Fire Damages Mt Pleasant Buildings, Destroys One

A 5-Alarm fire destroyed the apartment building at 3145 Mt Pleasant Street NW this morning. All residents were displaced and many exited the building by way of ladder truck. There are no known causes of the fire as of yet and no tenants were injured, thankfully. As of 8am, the fire was still burning. According to the Washington Post, one firefighter was injured. There were nearly 90 apartments in the building.

At an early morning news conference, Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham chastised the owner of the building. Graham accused the unnamed owner, who lives in Pennsylvania, of repeatedly attempting to force tenants out through building neglect in order to convert the building into condos or luxury apartments.

The Meridian Hill Baptist Church, on 16th Street NW, also received major damage, with 3/4 of the roof destroyed by fire. According to media reports most of the sanctuary and religious items were spared and offices on the upper floors bore most of the damage. Mt Pleasant Street was closed this morning south of Lamont Street. Also, 16th Street was closed from Meridan Place down to Harvard and Irving Street was closed east of Mt Pleasant Street.