Recovery continues in Chinatown after big blaze
BY EMILY DAVENPORT AND
ROBERT POZARYCKI
Chinatown remains in recovery
mode following a devastating,
five-alarm inferno at a historic
building last week which destroyed community
facilities and more than 85,000
museum artifacts kept in storage.
At around 8:40 p.m. on Jan. 23, the
FDNY responded to a call regarding
a fire at 70 Mulberry Street. The fire
quickly escalated, spreading to the fifth
floor and the roof, and was categorized as
a five-alarm fire, according to the FDNY.
Hundreds of firefighters worked for
hours to get the flames under control,
completely extinguishing the fire sometime
the following morning.
Nine people, eight of which were
firefighters, were injured as a result of
the fire. The cause of the fire is under
investigation.
The building served as the home
base for many local nonprofits as well
as a senior center and the Chen Dance
Center, and also stored more than 85,000
documents from the Museum of Chinese
in America.
“This building is home to many local
non profits and a senior center that serves
as a pillar to the Chinatown community,”
said Mayor Bill de Blasio on Twitter. “I
know the neighborhood is in shock tonight.
We’re going to help the community
get through this.
de Blasio announced Monday that city
agencies are working to place tenants
housed at 70 Mulberry St. at nearby
sites until the fire-damaged structure is
repaired or rebuilt.
De Blasio called the Mulberry Street
building “a pillar of Chinatown,” as it
houses numerous cultural groups, athletic
organizations and social services to
assist local residents.
In addition to offering storage space
to store recovered artifacts, the city is
also providing the Museum of Chinese
in America with resources from the Department
of Records and Department of
Cultural Affairs to further recover their
archives.
“The fire at 70 Mulberry jeopardizes a
vital collection of American history,” said
Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of the
Museum of Chinese in America. “Thank
you for the outpouring of support from
near and far. MOCA is strengthened
and determined to recover, repair and
rebuild.”
Meanwhile, the city connected the
CPC Chinatown Senior Center with four
nearby senior centers to accommodate
members. The primary alternate site is
the Open Door Senior Center, 168 Grand
St.
“CMP has been grateful for the support
the mayor, elected and city officials, and
the community have offered us since the
five-alarm fire broke out on Thursday
night,” said Hong Shing Lee, the CMP executive
director. “At this moment, CMP’s
first and foremost priority is to continue
our commitment to the community we
serve, minimize service interruption and
PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
resume our program activities as soon as
possible.”
The Chinatown Manpower Project will
be using space provided by the Chung
Pak Daycare Center and P.S. 130, while
the H.T. Dance Company will be moving
its administrative offices to a nearby partner
organization. The city is also offering
its space at 125 Worth St. for the dance
company’s performances.
Finally, the United East Athletic Association
will be relocated to available space
in the municipal building at 1 Centre St.
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