SALT LAKE CITY — The damage and debris of the Sugar House apartment fire looms over local businesses, taunting them as another day goes by and they can’t reopen.
“I’m literally down to 2 bucks in my bank account,” said a Buffalo Wild Wings employee. “I rely on this place to keep me afloat.”
Every day that server waits for the word that he can get back to work, but instead feels stuck in limbo.
“I know there’s other people in this situation right now and they’re hurting bad,” he said. “They can’t go see family for Thanksgiving because of this.”
The man said the restaurant did offer them shifts at other locations.
“Driving all the way to Layton from Sugarhouse, I mean that’s not really going to cut it. I’m going to pay 20 bucks just to get there,” he said.
The Salt Lake City Fire Department told FOX 13 News that the cause is still under investigation. It’ll be up to the city when certain businesses can reopen again, and that’ll be after demolition plans are made.
“Right now from what I’ve been told, it’s sometime in the next week that review will happen,” said Erika Wiggins, co-chair of the Sugarhouse Chamber of Commerce. “But then how long it takes to actually start demolition after that? I don’t know.”
Wiggins said around six businesses are still closed because they’re at risk if the structure were to collapse.
Even the businesses that are back open are seeing low numbers. Wiggins said it’s been “disorienting and devastating.”
“Please don’t avoid the area. In fact, make an effort to come down and help those businesses that have already reopened,” she said.
