Yonkers' art district's future in question after fire

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.0px Times}span.s1 {font-kerning: none} YONKERS - A fire in one of the former Alexander Smith carpet mills buildings burned decades of artistic creation Monday and raised questions about the art district's future.

"They won't let me in," said David Fischweicher, a steel sculptor, who had a 900-square-foot business on the third floor of 222 Lake Ave., parts of which were completely destroyed. "As far as I can tell, there's 25 years worth of stuff in there."

Unlike Fischweicher, many artists and artisans at the carpet mills buildings were spared because the fire was contained in the sprawling complex's northwest corner. The complex is comprised of numerous buildings that span blocks from Nepperhan Avenue to Lake Avenue to Saw Mill River Road to Axminster Street.

What's less clear is how the fire affected the carpet mills' future as an arts and retail destination that property owners and city officials are hoping to create.

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Officials said the fire seemed suspicious. About 80 firefighters from 18 companies spent almost three hours shooting water on the blaze, which started around 4 a.m. A few firefighters suffered minor injuries from slips and falls on water that froze while dousing the flames, according to Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Fitzpatrick.

It doesn't appear anyone was injured inside the building, Fitzpatrick said.

"We'll check with the business owners and make sure everybody is accounted for," he said.

Harlan Rose, whose father Randolph Rose owns several of the buildings in the carpet mills complex, said the family's property was not harmed by the fire. Randolph Rose owns 500-530 Nepperhan Ave., and 179 Lake Ave.

"If the wind was blowing the other way, it would have been a different story," Harlan Rose said. "I hope it doesn't stop the momentum we have."

The Rose family got a $500,000 state grant in 2015 to promote the Carpet Mills Arts District. The buildings date to the late 19th century and produced carpeting until 1954.

Last year, city officials changed the zoning in the complex to allow small retail businesses and restaurants to open on the ground floor.

Aside from a music school that recently opened in the carpet mills' ground floor, little consumer-oriented development has happened so far since the city's rezoning.

The biggest attraction, the YoHo artists lofts at 540-578 Nepperhan Ave., were largely unscathed by the fire.

"We were barely touched," said George Huang of the Heights Realty Estate, the company that controls the YoHo artist lofts. "This does not affect YoHo in any way."

Albert Valentine and his employees at Valenti Neckwear Company were busy making the company's uniform ties around 11 a.m. on the fifth floor of the YoHo building at 540 Nepperhan Ave. A strong stench of fire permeated the area.

"We were fortunate," Valentine said.

Fire investigators and police were at the scene Monday, but city spokeswoman Christina Gilmartin said the building was still smoldering and it could take days to determine a possible cause.

A city street sweeper called in the fire, Yonkers Fire Commissioner Robert Sweeney said.

The buildings at the carpet mills are owned by different people. Joel Berger owns 222 Lake Ave.m, where the fire started, and did not respond to a request for comment Monday. City assessment records show that Berger's property has a tentative 2017 full market value of $1.9 million.