SEMINOLE – The manager of Seminole Gardens Apartments expects to have “all the ducks in a row” soon for a reconstruction of the building damaged in a May 6 fire.
Gerald Shotts, chief operations officer of Ridge Seminole Management Corp., said he anticipates having an insurance assessment and bids from building contractors by the end of this week.
“By the 29th, we’ll have our initial plan of action ready,” Shotts said. “That’s when we’ll know where we are and where we’re going to go.”
Residents of 18 condominiums were displaced from their homes following the early-morning fire at 8101 113th St. N. in Seminole.
No injuries resulted from the three-alarm fire that started on the third floor in Building 28.
The blaze was called in at 3:27 a.m. Firefighters were able to safely evacuate all residents near the apartment where the fire originated.
Apartments next door and below were damaged by water and smoke.
Seminole Fire Marshal Mike Rodde said the cause of the fire was accidental and undetermined.
Insurance companies are conducting their own investigations, Shotts said, but the results have not been made public. Additionally, a dollar figure on the damage has not been released.
Displaced homeowners were taken to the community’s recreation hall the morning of the fire and found alternative housing within 12 hours.
“Most people went out and got their own housing with families or friends,” said Shotts.
He said some residents accepted alternative accommodations at Freedom Square and as far away as Sun City Center in Hillsborough County.
“I just can’t say enough about how the community in Seminole stepped up to help,” Shotts said. “From the fire department, to the city planner, to the mayor, to the receptionist, everybody’s been so great. Seminole is truly a great city.”
If all goes well, he said, residents could be back in their homes by the holidays.
“Nothing would make me happier than to have everyone back in for Thanksgiving or certainly by Christmas,” Shotts said. “Will that happen? I don’t know. But that certainly would be nice since Thanksgiving is such a family-oriented holiday.”
